A black SUV smashed through the outer railing at Manila’s main airport on the morning of Sunday, May 4, 2025, and ran onto the walkway by the departures entrance of Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 1. Two people died. The crash came before 9 am local time.
Glass lay across the entrance, and the front of the SUV was visibly damaged where it hit the airport doors. Photos shared by local media showed people on the ground.
Who was hurt
The Department of Transportation said the dead were a 29-year-old man and a five-year-old girl. The Philippine Red Cross, which responded at the scene, had first reported the girl’s age as four. The number of injured was less settled. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon told reporters that three people were hurt and taken to hospital, while a Facebook post from his office put the figure at four. Xinhua, quoting the airport operator, said only that several people had been injured and were being treated.
What the cameras show
Dizon said authorities had reviewed CCTV footage. The driver, he said, had just dropped off a passenger and was seen helping to unload luggage. The passenger walked toward the terminal entrance. Moments later the SUV suddenly accelerated.
“It initially appears that the driver did not intend to run anyone over,” Dizon said. He asked the public not to speculate while the investigation went on.
San Miguel Corp, the company that oversees operations at the airport, said the driver was in police custody and that a full investigation was under way. It said the area had been secured and that access was limited to authorized airport personnel and authorities, police included. The company also asked people to wait for verified updates, and said it was working with agencies to confirm the cause and the injuries.
Travel advice
The incident drew a notice from Britain. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told travelers in the immediate area to take care and follow the advice of local authorities. The Birmingham Mail, which reported the warning on May 5, noted that the office already advised against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, a separate warning tied to militant activity and clashes in the south.
Sources
- Foreign Office issues warning after 'two deaths' and warns UK tourists 'in the immediate area' – Birmingham Live
- 2 dead, several injured in Philippine main airport car crash
