Seawall collapses, kills 2 kids in Zamboanga City

MTSAT ENHANCED IR Satellite Image for 3 a.m., 5 January 2012

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A 2-meter-high stone seawall collapsed from ceaseless battering by strong waves and wind spawned by a low-pressure area (LPA) in Ayala village here on Tuesday night, killing two children and seriously injuring another.

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

The slow-moving LPA was dumping heavy rain over parts of Mindanao, but the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said it would likely dissipate in the next two days.

The LPA, hovering over the Celebes Sea east-southeast of General Santos City, was forecast to bring clouds with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Mindanao up to Thursday morning.

Heavy rainfall

Bad weather would prevail over eastern and southern Mindanao, including the provinces of Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and portions of Sarangani, forecaster Nikos Peñaranda said in Manila.

“There will be heavy rainfall, but it’s not going to happen all day and all night. But since thunderstorms have thick clouds, it’s possible there will be flash floods and landslides,” Peñaranda said in a phone interview.

General Santos City officials ordered people living near the shore and along riverbanks to prepare for possible evacuation, while mayors in Davao del Sur province said they had placed their disaster response offices on alert.

Chief Inspector Edding identified the Zamboanga City  fatalities as Reymart Pantasan, 8 and Giancarlo Aquino, 6. Their playmate, John Rey Patongo, 5, remained in critical condition at the hospital.

“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 collapse,” he said.

Quarrying

Police suspected that quarrying in the area had weakened the seawall’s foundation.

Beginning Tuesday night, the LPA spawned moderate to heavy rain over Surigao del Sur, Pagasa said.

LPAs thrive on warm air and warm sea surface temperature to intensify into a tropical depression. However, the weather disturbance estimated at 190 kilometers southeast of General Santos City at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, was being slowed down by cold and dry winds associated with the northeast monsoon (amihan).

“The conditions around it are not favorable for its development into a tropical depression. There’s a wind shear that’s boring through its center. It has weak circulation because of cold and dry winds. It will break up if it runs into rugged terrain,” Peñaranda said.

“It’s possible it will dissipate in 48 hours,” he added.

The tail end of the cold front would bring light to moderate rain over the eastern sections of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the Visayas up to Thursday morning, Peñaranda said.

“There will be rain over portions of Quezon, northern Camarines Norte and Aurora provinces. There’s a threat of flash floods and landslides,” he said.

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

Evacuation alert

Mayor Joel Ray Lopez of Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur, which had suffered from floods in recent months, said residents in coastal areas and riverbanks had been told to evacuate as soon as they see danger signs.

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

684 still missing

Cagayan de Oro City, which is still reeling from killer-floods spawned by Tropical Storm “Sendong” over two weeks ago, has been experiencing sunny weather. Iligan City, which was also devastated by floods, had overcast skies Wednesday.

Authorities on Wednesday shifted tasks from searching for missing victims in Cagayan de Oro to rehabilitation.

Senior Superintendent Gerardo Rosales, city police chief, said the chances of survival of the 684 persons listed as missing had become nil, especially if they were swept to the open sea or had been buried under mud and debris.

Military doctors and nurses regularly visit the affected communities to hand out medicines and vitamins, and give antitetanus shots. With reports from Aquiles Zonio, Orlando Dinoy and Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao; and TJ Burgonio in Manila