14 Filipinos killed in Saudi collision

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At least 14 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) were killed and scores were wounded on Monday afternoon when the coaster van they were riding collided with a delivery truck in Saudi Arabia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila said Wednesday.

DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the Philippine embassy in Riyadh had received a sketchy information about the accident.

“Our embassy in Riyadh is now in contact with the employer of the OFWs killed in the accident,” Jose said.

According to the initial information the Philippine embassy obtained from the victims’ employer, the OFWs were on a coaster van on their way home to their lodging house in Al-Ahsa, a province in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, from their work site when the accident took place.

“Those injured are still at the intensive care unit of a hospital,” Jose said,  noting that representatives of the company that hired the OFWs were still at the site to gather information and assist the injured.

At least 13 other OFWS were injured in the vehicular accident.

Jose said the information about the incident remained sketchy as of the moment.

Meanwhile, Migrante International expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

Migrante said all the victims aboard the coaster van were employees of Kentz Company, an engineering firm based in Saudi Arabia.

“We are still coordinating with our chapters in Saudi Arabia to get complete information on our kababayan. We demand immediate action and assistance from the government,”  Mic Catuira, Migrante International deputy secretary-general, said in a statement.

Catuira said that families of the victims should be entitled to immediate assistance and benefits from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), particularly repatriation costs, medical assistance, burial and other death benefits and scholarships for children of those who died in accident.

“Aside from quick action from the government, they deserve to be given all these benefits entitled them,” she said.

John Leonard Monterona, coordinator of Migrante-Middle East, said they strongly urged Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzadin Tago to immediately dispatch a team in order to validate, get detailed information on the reported vehicular accident, identify the fatalities, and immediately inform their families in the Philippines, and provide the needed assistance.

“The entire Filipino community in Saudi Arabia were saddened by the news of this vehicular accident. We could only hope that the number of OFW fatalities are not that as many as reported. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fatalities.” he said.