DAVAO CITY —- Five persons were killed while two others were severely injured when an unfinished steel bridge collapsed while a boom truck was traversing halfway, in a remote village of Kibakak, Barangay Malamba, Marilog District at around 3:30 Monday afternoon, July 24.
The boom truck was loaded with construction workers.
Four fatalities were fished out from the river late yesterday afternoon while the fifth was retrieved at around 11:45 am today by the members of Davao’s Urban Search and Rescue Unit together with the personnel from Bureau of Fire Protection Special Rescue, Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Marilog police.
Authorities identified the fatalities as Jay Bangonan, 22, Rolando Abing, 40, residents of said village, Cris Napao, 44, of Balusong, Matina, Jimboy Liga, 28, boom truck driver and the last body to be retrieved was Elmer Sayson, 44, the foreman from Banaybanay, Davao Oriental.
The wounded workers who are still at the Southern Philippines Medical Center were identified as Meljay Bero, 29 of Monkayo, Davao de Oro and Jonathan Dispo, 38 of Catalunan Grande.
Junjun Abing, who first responded to the incident told Newsline “Pag-abot nako diri wala pa may nakalukso didto nagkaguliyang pa man sila. Pagdungog nako nga ang akong uyuan wala pa nakatunga una na lang kog layat didto, nilukso na lang ko didto unya pag-abot nako didto una nako tong nadakop tong ulitawo nga napagan gipakulob nako siya sa bakal kay nagginhawa pa man pag-ingon sa mga kauban nako diri nga si kuya nimo nagtapad lang na sila mao tong gisawom nako sa ilawom. Unya pag-abot nako sa ilawom kay nakuha man gyud nako ang akong uyuan gi-arsa namo mao tong gipahigda, gibutang nako diha gipasandig nako sa boom truck. Unya kanang mga nabilin diha na clearing na unta namo diha gahapon ang problema kay dili namo mabira kay naipit ba murag nakuaan sila sa ulo sa truck unya naipit pa gyud sa ligid unya wala na lang namo gipugos kay naabot naman ang mga rescue rescue nila”.
Translation :”When I arrived here no one went to the river yet because it was still in chaos, when I heard that my uncle was still under the water, I immediately jumped to save him. I grabbed a man and immediately placed him above the steel with his chest down because he was still breathing and I was informed that my uncle was just beside him, so I dipped in the water and found my uncle and pulled him near the boom truck, we tried to retrieve others but we cannot get their bodies because they were trapped between the truck and the steel, it was then that the rescuers arrived.”
According to Noli Abing, brother of Rolando, he was at their home when he heard a loud thud, he guessed something fell from the bridge where his brother was working. His group immediately went to the bridge and they were given a rubber boat and started to evacuate the victims.
Captain Ruel Dionela, the deputy commander of Marilog Police said five were confirmed dead while two were injured.
Dionela said 10 workers of Bojus Sun Builders & Supply Corporation were installing the side panel of the bridge using a boom truck when the structure collapsed, burying the seven workers.
The 64-million bridge was still under construction.-Eugene Hinutan
