Accidents that kill pinoys the most

BY TOPTEN.PH

Accidents do happen, and in the Philippines – they can be very fatal. Here is a list of top 10 accidents that end up killing many of our kababayans.

1. Road Accidents – kills 7.8 for every 100,000

Philippine roads are ruthless and unforgiving – what with all the traffic congestion, poor infrastructure and countless accidents!

The World Health Organization reported that in the Philippines, road traffic accident is the second major cause of death, killing 7.8 for every 100,000 people, 5.8 of which are children aged 0-17. In Metro Manila alone, at least 1 person die each day in 2013 due to road accident.

Whoever said that night driving is more dangerous? In a study, Adrian Mernilo Tamayo found that from 2001 through 2006, there were 759 deaths due to traffic accidents, 70% of which occurred during the day.

Take heed! Speed, drunk driving, motorcycle helmet use, seatbelt, and child restraints are the five main factors causing of traffic accidents.

The latest, most gruesome road accident is perhaps when 3 buses and 4 trucks collided in Quezon two years ago. That accident claimed 20 lives and hurt 57 others. But this was nothing compared to the 1967 road accident in south of Manila that involved two buses and killed at least 100.

2. Drowning Accidents – kills 8 per day

Drowning is a serious accident in a country where there’s abundance of water and frequent weather disturbance. About 10 cases or at least 8 people die each day, mostly children and those who can’t swim.

To help curb drowning accidents in the country, the Philippine Life Saving Society and WHO Philippines have each drafted plans involving local communities.

Drowning can’t be taken in isolation of other disasters like typhoons, flashfloods, maritime and aviation accidents where people die in the water. We, Pinoys, must be alert and ready when disaster strikes. And yes, it pays to learn how to swim!

3. Work-Related Accidents – kills 3 per week

Workers out there, beware and be safe.

According to the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSD), job-related accidents kill 3 people week. At least 126 workers died in 2011, mostly (44%) in the building and construction industry. Those in the manufacturing and transport service are also highly at risk.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) has reported that the Philippines has experienced growing rate of work-related injuries, especially now that many high-rise condos are under construction with relatively unsafe and poor working conditions.

4. Fire Accidents – 615 cases (Jan-Feb 2015), 72 dead (May 2015)

In a nation where most structures are made of light materials and aren’t fundamentally sound, where fire prevention policies aren’t fully implemented, and where people seem to be less vigilant – fire accidents happen quite often.

Fire is perhaps one of the worst killer accidents throughout the Philippines. The worst maritime and aviation disasters involved fire. In Metro Manila alone, there were 615 fire cases during the first two months of 2015. The leading causes were faulty electrical lines, lighted cigarettes, and unattended fires, the Bureau of Fire Protection pointed.

And yes, the first day of March 2015 – Fire Prevention Month – was marked by a fire incident burning 13 homes. The most recent and perhaps most gruesome fire accident happened May this year when a poorly maintained slipper factory in Manila came ablaze and killed 72 people inside.

5. Maritime Accidents

(Still related to drowning, but more on the involvement of shipping lines and ferries.)

The Philippine seas can be rough indeed. We’ve listed 10 deadliest sea disasters last year, naming the collision between MV Doña Paz and MT Vector at #1.

Just recently, in July 2015, a two-deck motorized banca, Kim Nirvana-B sailed from Ormoc City to Camotes Island and capsized a few meters off Ormoc port, killing at least 36 people.

6. Electrocution/Lightning Accidents

Dangling electrical cables, as well as faulty wirings and outlets often lead to electrocution, even death. In the Philippines, most of the cables are a scattered mess hanging on posts across or along the roads. They can be very unsafe as in the case of this old Pinoy couple who, along with their grandson, got caught in the live dangling wire and died in seconds. In another incident, a brief condo vacation turned out fatal for a young girl who died of electrocution while swimming in the pool.

As for lightning, they’re plenty here, too. When there are thunderstorms, there will always be lightning. Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao – you’re nowhere safe. Lightning strikes randomly, and kills instantly. To help you and your loved ones keep safe, here are lightning safety tips.

7. Accidental Food Poisoning – 4 dead (2015), thousands hospitalized

Milk tea, candies, cakes – they’re Filipino all-time favorite snacks. But perhaps not anymore.

A series of food poisoning cases this year stirred fear throughout the country. It all started in April, when 2 people died after drinking poisoned milk tea. After that, other food poisoning incidents happened in various locations, affecting thousands of children who fell ill and became hospitalized due to poorly handled snacks and sweets.

In addition to the 2 people who died from drinking poisoned milk tea, another two were reported dead after they reportedly bought and consumed “poisoned” food products from two popular chains.

8. Aviation Accidents – 4 dead (2014)

The country’s aviation industry is perhaps one of the most underdeveloped, but tourism and local air travels continue to grow. It’s therefore not surprising to find a couple of mishaps on air now and then. In 2014 alone, there were 16 aviation accidents on record, and 4 people died.

The most fatal aviation accidents in the country however occurred in or before Y2K. The worst air disaster happened in summer of 2000 when Air Philippines 541 flew too low and crashed into a coconut plantation in Samal Island en route from Manila to Davao City. All 131 passengers and crew died.

9. Stray Bullet & Firework Accidents – 593 cases, 3 dead (2014)

Oh, the holidays are here again! But wait, it’s also ripe time for disaster. On January 2, 2015, there were 593 reported cases of fireworks-and-stray-bullets-related injuries, at least 3 died; down from 804 cases tallied on January 2, 2014 including two people who died.

About 55% of the cases were due to the use of illegal firecrackers, with Piccolo as the primary cause of the injuries. But legally sold firecrackers are as dangerous, too. Maybe it’s about time we all embrace the Davao City anti-firecracker ordinance?

10. Selfie-Related Accidents – 3 dead

We are a selfie-addict nation. We are overloading our FB timelines with selfies. But more than annoying people with our nuisance selfie posts, we are endangering our lives in the process.

Our country tops again – this time with the most number of selfie-related accidents. At least 3 Pinoys have died all for the sake of taking that much-coveted selfie.

We can’t say it’s an isolated case, however. The Telegraph reported that more people died of selfie-related accidents than shark attacks. Because selfie-addiction is hard to overcome, the Telegraph likewise added a no-brainer how-not-to-die-while-taking-a-selfie list.