2 killed by falling seawall in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Two children were killed while another one was injured when an old five-foot-tall seawall in Barangay Ayala  collapsed from battering by strong waves churned up a low pressure area that was threatening to bring heavy rainfall to many parts of Mindanao.

The children were playing near the seawall, made of boulders, pebbles and sand, on Tuesday evening when it collapsed on them, Chief Inspector Hado Edding of the Ayala police station said Wednesday.

Edding identified the fatalities as Reymart Pantasan, 8, and Giancarlo Aquino, 6. The injured victim, who was in critical condition in a hospital here, was identified as John Rey Patongo, 5.

“They were playing near the quarry area at the Olaso property separated by an old seawall. The strong wind and waves may have caused the seawall to crumble down on the site where the kids were playing,” he said.

Edding said the police suspected also that quarrying  had weakened the wall’s foundation. So when the strong wind and waves battered it, it readily gave way, he said.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Mindanao, residents of General Santos City, Davao del Sur and Sanrangani were warned of approaching bad weather as a result of the low pressure.

Officials ordered residents of coastal areas  as well as people living near riverbanks to prepare for possible evacuation as a low pressure area which developed off the city a few days ago east southeast of General Santos City was threatening to bring heavy rainfall.

The advisory was issued even as a weather forecaster said the weather disturbance, which was monitored 400 kilometers east southeast of General Santos early Wednesday, had no chances of developing into a storm.

Buddy Javier of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration  said the weather disturbance was expected to dissipate in the next 24 hours.

However, Javier said the low pressure area could still dump more rain than usual and could threaten many Mindanao areas with floods.

“Widespread rains over the eastern section of the Visayas and the whole of Mindanao may trigger flashfloods and landslides,” Pagasa said in an advisory.

Jerome Barranco, deputy director of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Central Mindanao, said the warning against sailing, especially for fishermen and those using small water vessels, remained in place.

Pagasa admitted that the low pressure area could generate moderate to strong winds, and coastal waters could be rough as long as it was active.

Ephraim Beliran, General Santos City disaster action officer, said a rescue team was on standby status.

Most of Mindanao was cloudy on Wednesday with rains reported in some areas, including parts of Sarangani and Davao del Sur.

In Davao del Sur, town mayors of coastal areas said they had placed their respective disaster response offices on alert due to the low pressure area.

Mayor Joel Ray Lopez of Sta. Cruz town, which suffered from floods in recent months, said residents in coastal areas and those along river banks had been told to evacuate as soon as they observe signs of danger.

Mayor Benjamin Bautista of Malita town said rescue workers were also asked to be on alert for possible emergencies, including landslides in hinterland villages.

Reports from Julie S. Alipala, Aquiles Zonio and Orlando Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao