Drowning victims in Bulacan now 6

CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan, Philippines —- Rescue teams scouring the Madlum River in San Miguel town in Bulacan province on Wednesday recovered the bodies of two more Bulacan State University (BulSU) students, bringing to six the number of victims who drowned when a strong river current swept them away on Tuesday.

Reports from the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office (PDRRMO) said rescue teams found the body of Janet Rivera, 16, at 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday. They found another victim, Mary Magdalene Navarro, 17, almost four hours later.

PDRRMO reports showed that provincial rescue teams and soldiers from the First Scout Ranger Regiment based in San Miguel were still searching for Maiko Bartolome, 26.

The bodies of Elena Marie Marcelo, Mikhail Alcantara, Sean Rodney Alejo and Michelle Anne Rose Bonzo were recovered after the accident at past 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Another student, Thea Gabrielle Hernandez, was rescued and taken to a hospital in San Miguel.

Felicisima Mungcal, Bulacan PDRRMO head, said the victims were among 181 BulSU freshmen tourism students who were visiting the Madlum cave in Barangay Sibul as part of a school field trip to the province’s tourist spots.

Reports said the students were accompanied by three teachers and five tourist guides.

Laureano Ligon, Sibul village chief, said the students arrived in Madlum, a part of the Biak na Bato National Park in the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, when the water level at the river was low.

He said the river started to swell after heavy rains in the area on Tuesday afternoon.

RELATED STORIES

4 students drown, 2 others missing as river swells in Bulacan

Body of 1 of 2 missing students in Bulacan river tragedy recovered