By ARIS R. ILAGAN
Five persons, including a oneyear-old boy, were killed while two others were injured when a concrete rip-rap wall collapsed and buried two shanties in San Mateo, Rizal, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City said.
Reports identified the fatalities as Mario and Dolores Aresta; their mother, Luzviminda Alde; and Midden Llovido, 25, and her one-year-old son Mark Victor Llovido.
The injured victims included Mariden Llovido, two years old and Mico Aresta, four years old.
OCD officials said that strong current from floodwaters swept the cemented riprap, causing it to collapse on two shanties located inside the Dayot Compound, Monterey Hills Subdivision, barangay Silangan, San Mateo, Rizal shortly past midnight last Tuesday.
Reports also said the victims were sleeping inside the two shanties when the landslide occurred. Volunteer rescue workers failed to retrieve the bodies of the fatalities that were buried in heavy pile of mud and adobe rocks.
OCD reports also said that the victims were relatives of security guards assigned to secure the perimeter area of Monterey Hills Subdivision.
Elements of the San Mateo Police Station have launched an investigation on the incident.
Heavy rains
SAN MATEO, Rizal — Five persons, including a one-year-old boy, died while two other minors were injured when the concrete rip-rap of a subdivision collapsed and buried their shanties the other day following a heavy downpour, a belated report reaching the Rizal provincial police office said yesterday.
The disaster is similar to the Cherry Hills subdivision tragedy in Antipolo City, Rizal in 1999 that killed many people who were buried alive by mud and debris during a heavy downpour.
Senior Supt. Leo Santiago, Rizal police director, identified the fatalities as Luzviminda Alde, 29; couple Mario and Dolores Aresta; Midden Llovido, 25, and her son, Mark Victor.
They died of head and body injuries. Their bodies were discovered around 3 a.m. last Monday under mounds of earth and concrete.
Reports from the San Mateo police showed that the victims were sleeping inside their shanties on the hilly portion of Dayot Compound at the Monterey Hills Subdivision in Barangay Silangan, this municipality, during a heavy downpour, when portions of the rip-rap, composed of adobe stones and concrete, were washed away by the rains. The collapsed concrete riprap buried shanties where the victims were staying.
Injured in the incident were Mariden Llovido, 2; and Mico Aresta, 4. They sustained minor injuries, according to the San Mateo police.
Heavy rains softened the foundation of portion of the rip-rap above the shanties of the victims. (Nel B. Andrade)
