Rescue dog detects 'signs of life' in collapsed five-story Ecoland 4000
Published Nov 1, 2019 12:28 am
By Antonio Colina
DAVAO CITY – Responders detected “signs of life” in a search and rescue operation on Thursday from the unexplored unit on the second floor of the five-story Ecoland 4000 Residences along Eco West Drive that partially collapsed on Thursday morning following a 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao, City Mayor Sara Duterte said.
Responders prepare to enter the compound of the collapsed condominium in Davao City following the magnitude 6.5 earthquake on Thursday. (Keith Bacongco)
In an interview with reporters, Duterte said the rescue dog of the Philippine Coast Guard detected a tapping sound from among the debris on the second floor around 3:30 p.m. or six hours after the first two levels of the condominium collapsed.
This was later confirmed by a life detector machine of a disaster volunteer group, Knight Hawk, employed after the collapse of the 56-unit condominium, the first of its two towers, owned by property developer DMC Urban Property Developers Inc. (DMC-UPDI), according to Duterte.
She said rescuers have yet to ascertain if the “signs of life” came from a human since the owner of the unexplored unit owned a pet dog.
No one was reported missing after the incident, she added.
“Nag ingon sya nag tap twice (They heard a tapping sound twice). They cannot determine kung human or animal – dog – because kato nga unit naay pet na iro pud (if it was a human or animal – dog—because that unit had a dog),” she said.
Duterte said responders are just waiting for the equipment with a built-in camera that can crawl up to the unit to verify presence of a trapped survivor.
The second option being considered by the rescue team is more risky, which is attempting to enter the building through a tight crawl space, she said.
She said the local government had already issued a notice of condemnation to the building administrator of the Ecoland 4000 Residences’ Himeji Building as the building was already unsafe for habitation after sustaining major cracks after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake last Wednesday.
According to Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), intensity 7 was felt in Tulunan and Kidapawan City in North Cotabato, and municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Bansalan and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur; intensity 6 in Tampakan in South Cotabato; intensity 5 in General Santos City, Tupi in South Cotabato; Isulan in Sultan Kudarat; and intensity 4 in Lebak and Sultan Kudarat.
The police cordoning off the site had also met the ire of impatient unit owners at the Nagoya tower, located just across the collapsed building after they were prevented from entering the premises since they could not ascertain their safety.
Christine Perez, one of the occupants of the Nagoya Tower, berated the police officers, telling them that she needed to recover her expensive Hermes bag pieces of jewelry since her two children and three other adult companions left their unit door unlocked in panic.
She asked them to let her in since the tower where she resided appeared to be stable.
She and the unit owners were later allowed to enter one after another.
Responders prepare to enter the compound of the collapsed condominium in Davao City following the magnitude 6.5 earthquake on Thursday. (Keith Bacongco)
In an interview with reporters, Duterte said the rescue dog of the Philippine Coast Guard detected a tapping sound from among the debris on the second floor around 3:30 p.m. or six hours after the first two levels of the condominium collapsed.
This was later confirmed by a life detector machine of a disaster volunteer group, Knight Hawk, employed after the collapse of the 56-unit condominium, the first of its two towers, owned by property developer DMC Urban Property Developers Inc. (DMC-UPDI), according to Duterte.
She said rescuers have yet to ascertain if the “signs of life” came from a human since the owner of the unexplored unit owned a pet dog.
No one was reported missing after the incident, she added.
“Nag ingon sya nag tap twice (They heard a tapping sound twice). They cannot determine kung human or animal – dog – because kato nga unit naay pet na iro pud (if it was a human or animal – dog—because that unit had a dog),” she said.
Duterte said responders are just waiting for the equipment with a built-in camera that can crawl up to the unit to verify presence of a trapped survivor.
The second option being considered by the rescue team is more risky, which is attempting to enter the building through a tight crawl space, she said.
She said the local government had already issued a notice of condemnation to the building administrator of the Ecoland 4000 Residences’ Himeji Building as the building was already unsafe for habitation after sustaining major cracks after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake last Wednesday.
According to Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), intensity 7 was felt in Tulunan and Kidapawan City in North Cotabato, and municipalities of Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Bansalan and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur; intensity 6 in Tampakan in South Cotabato; intensity 5 in General Santos City, Tupi in South Cotabato; Isulan in Sultan Kudarat; and intensity 4 in Lebak and Sultan Kudarat.
The police cordoning off the site had also met the ire of impatient unit owners at the Nagoya tower, located just across the collapsed building after they were prevented from entering the premises since they could not ascertain their safety.
Christine Perez, one of the occupants of the Nagoya Tower, berated the police officers, telling them that she needed to recover her expensive Hermes bag pieces of jewelry since her two children and three other adult companions left their unit door unlocked in panic.
She asked them to let her in since the tower where she resided appeared to be stable.
She and the unit owners were later allowed to enter one after another.