River wall collapses

One man was killed  and several others, including five children  were injured when the stone riprap of a private subdivision collapsed into shanties beside the wall in barangay Talamban, Cebu City.

The riprap knocked down the homes of at least six families shortly before 8 p.m.

The shanties were built within the river easement in sitio Kalubihan.

Barangay tanod Felix Zanoria said the settlers had long been asked to evacuate the area because it was dangerous to stay there.

“They were actually given a notice to evacuate  by the barangay council late last year because it’s risky to live there,” he said.

The recent summer rains had softened the soil which may have caused the fence to collapse.  The riprap wall and subdivision are owned by Casa Del Rio of Commonwealth Estate Inc.

Allan ‘Tera’ Oporto was removed from the rubble shortly past 10 p.m. He did not survive.

Among the injured brought to the hospital were 11-year-old Erica Mabuyao, 7-year-old Nelmarie Enguito, and their mother Margie; 9-year-old Georgie Tambagan, 12-year-old Hiroshi Inguito and 7-year-old Erich Mabuyao.

Neighbors said they heard a cracking sound, giving them   time to gather some belongings and run.

At about 5 p.m. , the riverside riprap suddenly moved and the shanty roof of Geneve Oporto was detached. Residents took it as a hint to move to safer ground.

Her uncle Allan Oporto did not heed her warning and stayed home listening to music.

Just before 8 p.m.the wall gave way.

Geneve said they had been complaining to the barangay about the weak riprap for more than a year but were instead threatened with demolition.

She said residents have noticed cracks in the wall in the past months.

Barangay tanod Zanoria said settlers built their homes in a sloping 10-meter area between the edge of the river and the stone riprap.

“Delikado gyud kaayo dinha na tukuran. Dugay naman na sila giingnan na papahawa-on unta (The area is too dangerous to build their house. They were told to evacuate from the area),” Zanoria told Cebu Daily News in a telephone interview.

Zanoria said residents rushed a child to the barangay hall and sought help. The child was the first to be brought to the hospital.

Upon learning of the accident, barangay tanods launched rescue operations with barangay captain Jesus Remedio, Jr.

Zanoria was left in the barangay hall.

The Cebu City fire department also rushed to the scene to help rescue two people who were still stuck in the rubble.

Neighbors were looking for a missing resident,  Nestor Tapdasan last night.

Electric power was cut off for safety, which slowed down rescue work which used a search light to guide volunteers.

Yesterday afternoon, a woman called a radio dySS program Imbestigador to complain that the riprap was not built well and that residents worried about their safety.

She said there were  no reinforcing steel bars to hold up the 20-foot high wall and that 20 houses were at risk.

She was advised to  report it to the Office of the Building Official (OBO) in Cebu City this morning but by evening the wall had collapsed.