‘They didn’t listen’: Wall collapse kills 2

Two people, including a 9-year-old boy, died when a 12-meter-high wall collapsed on a shanty amid heavy rains on Tuesday in a Valenzuela City property that had been declared a danger zone as early as 2010.

Two more minors were injured when the rain-soaked ground eroded and sent the adobe wall crashing on the victims’ house on the boundary of Barangay Ugong and Gen. T. De Leon at around 10 a.m.

Christian Serrano, 9, died before reaching the hospital, while Rodel Pugoy, described to be in his 30s, was presumed dead by authorities even though his body was yet to be recovered from the rubble at press time.

One-year-old Rhiver Pugoy and sibling Rodel, suffered minor bruises.

Belen Victoriano of the city engineering office said her office had warned the 15 families living in the area about the dangers of building their homes right beside the wall.

“But you know how people are. They didn’t listen. They continued to build their houses there,” Victoriano told the Inquirer.