The body of one of the two construction workers missing after an Elf truck plunged into the Chico River in Gawa sub-village, Tocucan, Bontoc, Mountain Province, was recovered on Tuesday morning, according to the Bontoc Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
The victim was identified by relatives and coworkers as Carlo Ancheta, a native of Tayug, Pangasinan.
Another worker, Edmund Romeo, remains missing as of press time.
Search and retrieval operations were temporarily halted on Monday night due to heavy rains, but resumed early Tuesday.
Authorities said the Elf truck fell about 170 meters from the mountain road in Gawa, Tocucan, after colliding with a Fiera and a mini dump truck around 6 a.m. on Monday. Debris from the vehicle remains lodged along the riverbank.
Three other workers-Rogelio Dela Cruz, 22, and JC Galicia, 20, both from San Rafael, San Nicolas, Pangasinan, and Zoren Jay Alat, 25, from Siayam, Zamboanga del Norte-were declared dead on the spot. Their remains have been brought to a funeral home.
The victims were reportedly on their way to a construction project in Kuro-kuro, Sadanga, Mountain Province, when the accident occurred