Fifteen people died while two others including the driver sustained serious injuries after a truck they were riding fell off the cliff in Barangay Bulwang, Mabinay town in Negros Oriental on Wednesday afternoon.

"One of the three seriously injured victims that were rushed to the hospital have died which makes the number of fatalities rise to 15, Major Nelson Lamoco, Mabinay police chief said in a radio interview.

Lamoco said based on an initial report the truck was on its way to Bayawan City when the brake malfunctioned and fell on the cliff around 1:46 pm.

"It is really an accident prone area... because it's a curved route," he said.

Lamoco said one of the fatalities is the owner of the truck while the driver is seriously wounded.

He also explained that the passengers were supposed to buy livestocks at Bayawan City which will be transported using the truck when the incident happened in the vicinity of Mabinay municipality. Robina Asido/DMS