2 street vendors crushed to death

Two street vendors were killed after a concrete molding broke off from a five-story building in Paco, Manila, and hit them Tuesday morning.

Delia Babon, a 47-year-old vegetable vendor and Simplicia Sister, who was selling children’s clothes, both suffered head injuries when the molding from a commercial and residential building on Paz Street just in front of Paco Church fell on them.

According to fellow vendor Leonora Lam-ang, the accident which took place at 8:30 a.m. happened very quickly.

“Most of the vendors near the building immediately scattered after the crash so we did not notice that there were casualties,” Lam-ang, who was selling plastic horns just a few meters away from the structure, told the Inquirer.

It took a few minutes before the bloodied bodies of the victims were spotted on the pavement, lying under the molding, Lam-ang added.

The vendor said that Babon died on the spot while Sister was still breathing when some residents tried to help them.

Sister, 58, was rushed to Ospital ng Maynila but was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Sheena Feliciano. The doctor said the victim died due to her head injuries.

Babon, whose body was still lying under the molding when the Inquirer went to the area, cracked her head when a big block of debris hit her, scene of the crime operatives said.

Her husband, Adan, told the Inquirer that she was about to buy breakfast from a restaurant within the building when the accident happened.

“We just came from our stall on Pedro Gil when she decided to buy breakfast from the fastfood chain,” said the victim’s husband who added that he was also buying food at a nearby store when the accident happened.

“We were supposed to go there with her but she decided to go on ahead to prepare our food,” Jos Ann, Sister’s daughter, told the Inquirer.

Police probers said they were contacting the owner of the building identified as Jojo Kilantang.