Teen swept away during heavy rain found dead
CEBU, Philippines - A teenager who went missing during heavy rain Thursday night was found dead yesterday morning by fisherfolks in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City.
The victim was swimming near the mouth of Guadalupe River together with his other five friends but he was accidentally swept away by the strong current of water.
His five friends were immediately rescued.
“Kusog kaayo ang current sa tubig. If kusog man gud ang uwan, ang tubig sa bukid ug tubig sa dagat mag-abot,” said Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Executive Director Simeon Romarate.
City Councilor David Tumulak, CCDRRMO head, said the fishermen discovered body around 6:20 a.m.
“Ni-call off ang pag-rescue mga pass 12 in the evening kay zero visibility naman gyud ang lugar,” Tumulak said.
The city is giving the boy’s family P10,000 in burial assistance.
Aside from flooding caused by what Tumulak called as “worst rain” of the year, landslides were also reported in Barangays Sapangdaku, Busay and Malubog.
The same night, CCDRRMO personnel also rescued an old woman in her 60s near Mahiga Creek in Barangay Mabolo after the water suddenly rose.
Harold Alcontin of CCDRRMO said the woman was living within the three-meter easement of the creek.
At the North Reclamation Area, vehicles and people were also stranded due to the flood. The city government deployed 10 Kaohsiung buses to help them.
CCDRRMO has already set up a system where the chiefs of the city’s 80 barangays would immediately contact the office for assistance during emergencies.
Tumulak advised the public to always monitor the latest weather updates and call the Cebu City Command Control Center (C3) for concerns.
He said city Mayor Michael Rama has also instructed him to always monitor the areas prone to landslide.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration-7 Chief Oscar Tabada earlier said that Central Visayas will experience cloudy with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon or in the evening from Thursday until Sunday.— /RHM (FREEMAN)
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