Two Filipino safety engineers died on the spot and another sustained minor injuries Sunday when the left front tire assembly of the Toyota Prado service car they were riding in suddenly detached, causing the vehicle to turn over several times. Carlos C. Borlaza, Arthur Angeles and Rene de Lara were returning to their camp at Safaniyah after work at Kursaniyah when the incident occurred. Borlaza, who was driving the car, and Angeles, seated at the back, died, while De Lara sustained injuries. Borlaza was stuck under the wreckage of the vehicle, while Angeles was thrown out of the car, presumably because he was not wearing a seat belt, according to Greg Crisosto, President of the Philippine Society of Safety Practioners-Middle East (PSSP-ME). De Lara, who was sitting next to Borlaza, suffered only minor injuries. “It was a very tragic accident, considering the fact that these workers were safety engineers and members of our organization. It was probably a result of poor vehicle maintenance,” Crisosto told Saudi Gazette. Borlaza was supposed to graduate this Friday from the basic occupational safety and health (BOSH) course conducted by the PSSP-ME, according to Crisosto. The remains of Borlaza and Angeles are at the Al-Khafji MOH Hospital. De Lara was released from the Nariyah Hospital on Wednesday. __
