Five-year-old girl among two dead in Manila airport car crash

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MANILA (Reuters) -Two people, including a five-year-old girl, were killed and several others injured when a car crashed into the entrance of Manila’s international airport on Sunday, authorities said, adding the incident may not have been intentional.

The incident occurred when a black SUV crashed through the outer railing and into the walkway near the entrance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1.

Those killed were a 29-year-old male and a five-year-old girl, according to the Department of Transportation. The Philippine Red Cross, which responded to the scene, had earlier reported the girl as being four years old.

There were conflicting reports on the number of injured. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said three people were hurt and were taken to the hospital, but a Facebook post from his office said that four individuals had been injured.

CCTV footage reviewed by authorities showed that the driver had just dropped off a passenger before the incident, Dizon said.

He said the driver was seen assisting the passenger with unloading luggage, after which the passenger walked toward the terminal entrance, and shortly after, the SUV suddenly accelerated.

“It initially appears that the driver did not intend to run anyone over,” Dizon told reporters, adding that the driver of the vehicle is in police custody and will undergo drug testing.

Dizon urged the public not to speculate, saying the investigation was ongoing.

Images shared by local media on social media platforms showed some people lying on the ground. Glass was shattered across the entrance and the front of a black SUV was visibly damaged after hitting the airport doors.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Edmund Klamann, Michael Perry and Saad Sayeed)