Girl drowns in septic tank

A four-year-old girl was killed after she fell and drowned in an open septic tank while playing near her house on Christmas Eve in Malabon City.

The body of Jenine Ampay, a resident of Phase 3, Area 2, Dagat-Dagatan, Malabon, was fished out of the cesspool, where she was found floating some seven hours after she was reported missing.

Police Officer 2 Peter Rios of the Malabon police investigation unit said Ampay was last seen around 4 p.m. playing with a couple of friends near their house, while her family was busy preparing noche buena.

When she failed to come back home for the Christmas feast, the girl’s family asked neighbors to help search for her.

Probers said it was not clear how she fell into the septic tank as no one witnessed the incident. – Jerry Botial, Pete Laude