Mountain News: Flash flood drowns 2 hikers in San Jose, Tarlac; one missing

FILE PHOTO: The river in Brgy. Iba, San Jose, Tarlac

We have received reports that a group of hikers got caught in a flashflood on August 30 while crossing a river in Sitio Baag, Brgy. Iba, San Jose, Tarlac as part of an outreach activity-cum-hike in the area. Sitio Baag is home to the "San Jose Circuit" - a trail that runs through three mountains: Mts. Tangisan, Kawayan, and Bungkol Baka.

Two hikers were reported dead and one is still missing, while four were reported injured.

The river in question is known to swell during the rainy season. Written in 2013, the itinerary-article in PinoyMountaineer.com read: "From Brgy. Iba to  Sitio San Pedro, you have to cross a river which can reach knee-deep or even waist-deep heights, depending on the season...Water levels may rise so be cautious."

We are still gathering more information about this incident.