MANILA (DPA) - Seven people died on Saturday (April 20) after a truck fell into a ravine in the northern Philippines, police said.

The truck, which was carrying a total of 18 passengers, was driving on an ascent in Tabuk City in Kalinga province, 315km south of Manila, when it stalled and rolled backwards into a 5m-deep ravine.

Four passengers were declared dead upon arrival in a nearby hospital, while three other died while undergoing treatment, according to a police report.

The victims were on their way to attend a thanksgiving ritual in a nearby town when the accident happened, the report said.

Many Filipinos have been travelling on pilgrimages, holidays or family get-togethers ahead of Easter, a major religious event in the predominantly Catholic country.