Black Nazarene devotee dies during ‘traslacion’–MDRRMO

An unconscious devotee is loaded into a stretcher during a raucous procession to celebrate the feast day of the Black Nazarene Friday, January 9 in Manila. AP

MANILA, Philippines—A man died due to a cardiac arrest while escorting the ebony-hued statue of Jesus Christ in the annual procession of the Black Nazarene, a Manila official said on Friday.

Johnny Yu, the officer in charge of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), told INQUIRER.net that a member of the Hijos de Nazareno died of a heart attack just as the “andas” of the Black Nazarene was leaving the Quirino Grandstand.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) medic Jeff de Leon, one of those who tried to revive the devotee, told INQUIRER.net they found Rodrigo Gorion, a 44-year-old resident from Dimasalang, unconscious on the andas of the Nazarene.

“Wala na siyang malay. Abot kamay na siya ng Nazarene nu’ng matagpuan s’ya,” De Leon said.

He added that the devotee was not immediately brought down from the andas because of the throng of people that surrounded the Black Nazarene’s statue.

The medics tried to revive him but he no longer had pulse, De Leon said.

Yu said that Gorion was declared dead-on-arrival when he was rushed to the Manila Doctors Hospital at around 9 a.m.

Gorion was a member of the Hijos de Nazareno-Nuesto Padre Jesus Nazareno, one of the organizations of devotees escorting the statue.

In an interview with GMA News, the fatality’s colleague in the group, only identified as Adam, said Gorion was pinned down on the altar by the devotees crowding around the statue.

“Sa sobrang dami ng mamamasa, kinapos ng hangin ang kapatid namin. Ang problema, ang ibang mamasa, hindi marunong sumapa, kaya kami pa ang napapahamak,” Adam said.

“Nadaganan ang dibdib niya. Nung inangat namin siya, wala na, maitim na ang kapatid naming si Renato,” he added.

This was an unfortunate year for the annual feast, since in the past four years authorities have recorded zero fatalities in one of the world’s largest, if not riskiest, religious gatherings. Meanwhile, two devotees died in 2010, one succumbed to a heart attack while the other suffered severe injuries after falling.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that as of 6 a.m., the Tala Medical Team based at the Quirino Grandstand provided medical assistance to 84 individuals, most of whom complained of hypertension.

The Philippine Red Cross has said as of 3 p.m., it has served to at least 986 patients—619 due to high blood pressure, 353 due to minor injuries, nine to major injuries, while at least nine were transported to the hospital for treatment.

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