BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: An entire family of three was among the five Filipinos who perished in a freaky car accident on the Corniche-Wakrah highway near Hamad International Airport (HIA) on Monday.
Doha-based couple Ben Chris Rivera, 36, and Joyce Rivera, 38, and their one-year-old son, Arclian Zirc III were among the fatalities, according to the Philippine Embassy.
Ben Chris was working as an engineer in Louis Berger while Joyce was a housewife. Based on their passports, Ben Chris hailed from Misamis Oriental while his wife Joyce was from Zamboanga Del Sur.
The other two who lost their lives in the accident were Marilou Cal and Joyce Gelli, both working as nurses in a specialised medical centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Crescente R Relacion told this daily yesterday.
Cal and Gelli were friends and co-workers of Suzeth Rivera, the sister of Ben Chris. The three came to Doha to visit Ben Chris and his family for the Eid Al Adha holidays.
Suzeth was the lone survivor in the accident. She suffered head and back injuries and is now in stable condition in Hamad Hospital.
On board a Nissan Pathfinder, the group went sightseeing around Doha and decided to stop for a while in the area where the fatal accident took place, based on the account of Suzeth.
The five were already inside the car and Suzeth was about to get in the car when a sport utility vehicle hit the car hurling Suzeth to a distance which caused her injuries.
The car caught fire because of the great impact of the collision, charring the bodies beyond recognition. The relatives of the victims back in the Philippines had already been informed of the sad news and the remains of the victims would be sent back after investigation, according to the Philippine Embassy.
“We are just waiting for the go signal from authorities after their investigation. Then we are going to coordinate with the companies to repatriate the bodies,” said Ambassador Relacion.
The SUV driver, a young Qatari national, suffered from a leg injury, said sources.
The Peninsula
