5 hurt as hanging bridge collapses in Alaminos City

DAGUPAN CITY — Five Alaminos City residents, including a village official, were injured when a hanging bridge collapsed as soon as they crossed at 2 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 28).

Loreto Navarro, 62, village secretary of Barangay (village) Balangobong, Primo Garcia, a man identified only as Felipe and two others whose identities were not immediately available, suffered bruises and fractured limbs, according to Jose Regacho, Balangobong village chief.

Regacho said the victims fell on the gravel side of the Alaminos River.

“We temporarily prohibited our residents from crossing the bridge since Wednesday (Oct. 25) because we were changing its flooring. But they were hard-headed,” said Regacho by telephone.

He said the bridge had served as a short-cut from one side of the village to the other side. The longer route would take people through the village road that traverses the neighboring village of Cabatuan.

“They could have actually crossed the river because it’s shallow at this time of the year,”  Regacho.