1 dead, scores hurt as church balcony collapses

MANILA, Philippines —   An 80-year-old woman died while 45 others were injured when the second floor balcony of a church in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan collapsed yesterday.

The victims were attending the mass for Ash Wednesday at the St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church in Barangay Tungkong Mangga when the incident happened at around 7:30 a.m.

The Bulacan police, in a report, said the wooden balcony at the right side of the church collapsed.

“There was one fatality, an 80-year-old female,” Philippine National Police public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo told a news briefing at Camp Crame.

San Jose del Monte City public information officer Bryan Ocampo identified the fatality as Luneta Morales, reportedly a choir member of the church.

Twenty-four of the victims were rushed to the Ospital ng Lungsod ng San Jose del Monte, nine to the Tala Hospital, five in Brigino General Hospital, three at Skyline Hospital, two in Labpro Diagnostic Center and one in Grace General Hospital, according to the city government’s public information office.

Some of the victims who sustained minor injuries were sent home after treatment while others are still under medical observation.

San Jose del Monte City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Gina Ayson said the church was subjected to renovation but still maintained the old mezzanine area.

Mayor Arthur Robes has ordered temporary closure of the church while an assessment by the city building and engineering offices is underway.

Robes visited the accident site and assured the families of the victims that the city government would shoulder the costs of medical treatment.

Prayers

Bulacan Bishop Dennis Villarojo asked for prayers for the victims who were injured in the St. Peter Apostle Parish Church accident yesterday.

“I ask for prayers, hoping the injuries (of people) and the damage were not severe,” Bishop Villarojo said.

“We pray for the eternal repose of the faithful departed and we offer our sincere condolences and assurance of assistance to the family,” he added.

“Meanwhile, the parish priest is doing whatever is good and coordinating with the city hall, the authorities of San Jose del Monte, in order to assist the persons who have been affected by the incident,” he said.

Those affected and their families are being assisted by the St. Peter Apostle Parish Church parish priest Fr. Romulo Perez and his parochial vicar, Fr. Divino Cayanan, and by the Diocese of Malolos.

While he has yet to learn the full details of the incident, Villarojo said they would look into the possibility that a part of the second floor might have been overloaded.

“Unfortunately, there were people in that area and that might have been the reason that it collapsed. Maybe the weight might have been too much for the structure… Anything is possible, so let us see first,” Villarojo said. “The details are not yet at hand and I still have to know what really happened. This would also require some technical data.”

As a result of the incident, “the parish church is closed until further notice,” he added.–  Ramon Efren Lazaro, Evelyn Macairan