Dad carries sick child as tumbled posts block ambulance

Photos of a father carrying and transferring his sick child to another vehicle after their ambulance was trapped by typhoon-toppled electrical posts in Baggao, Cagayan, on Saturday has touched the hearts of Filipinos online.

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Netizens on Facebook expressed their sadness over the photo taken by Ted Aljibe of the Agence France-Presse and commented to pray for the child’s healing and recovery and for the safety of the family.

As the scene tugged heartstrings on the web, netizens also urged the government to consider phasing out electrical posts and overhead cables and to replace these with an underground system.

Fallen electric posts blocked many roads after Typhoon “Ompong” battered northern Luzon last week.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Ompong, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, made landfall in the town of Baggao before 2 a.m.

Ompong whipped northern and northeastern Luzon with ferocious winds and dumped torrential rain triggering widespread flash floods and landslides, shutting down electricity, and leaving many areas largely devastated.

Authorities have confirmed 25 dead, including an infant, a 2-year-old child, and two rescuers reaching out to people trapped in a landslide in Baguio City.

On Saturday night, a weakened Ompong exited the Philippine area of responsibility and moved towards Southern China, said Pagasa. /cbb