Sinkhole swallows woman

CEBU, Philippines —  A woman who was feeding her pigs in Barangay Sabang, Danao City, northern Cebu died after being swallowed by what authorities said was a sinkhole.

Authorities identified the fatality as Mejame Papaya, 46 years old, a worker at Minebea Mitsumi Cebu.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Fortunato Ecle, chief of Danao City Police Station, said they first knew of the incident after personnel of Danao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DCCRRMO) received a call about it around 4:55 in the afternoon on Friday, February 3.

Afterwards, the police, DCCRRMO, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Barangay Sabang officials, and other authorities conducted a search and rescue operation to recover the victim.

Ecle said the victim's body was found around 9:48 in the evening and was checked by some medical rescuers, but she did not have any pulse.

He added that the victim was rushed to Cebu Provincial Hospital, where she was formally declared dead by the attending physicians.

Ecle said the sinkhole prompted the ground to collapse. Unfortunately, the victim's house stood nearby, thus, she was buried alive with her pigs.

The hole was estimated to be at least eight meters deep and 200 meters wide.

As they accessed the area, the DCCRRMO personnel noted that some houses situated near ground zero or the incident area were already standing on a hollow ground, posing danger to the residents.

The disaster agency's examination is ongoing, but it said an evacuation of the residents living near the sinkhole zone is possible to secure them. – JMD (FREEMAN)