Lightning strikes in Bago City: 10 farmworkers hurt

Lightning. INQUIRER.net stock photo

BACOLOD CITY — Ten farm laborers loading sugarcane on a truck were injured when they were hit by lighting in Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday afternoon.

Reports indicated that lightning struck at Purok Concordia in Barangay Ma-ao at about 3 p.m., hitting the sugarcane workers – two of them appeared to be in critical condition, according to Staff Sergeant Armando Arao Jr.

Micheal Cahilo, the driver of the truck, and his helper Bryan Della Cruz, said 16 farmworkers were harvesting and loading sugarcane on the truck parked on the side of the road starting at 1 p.m. until heavy rain fell at about 3 p.m.

When lightning struck, 10 of the 16 farm laborers who took shelter under the truck were hit.

Cahilo said he did not know that they were hit by the lighting until he looked out of the window of the truck and saw the moaning laborers scattered on the ground.

The victims were rushed to the Bago City Hospital.

Injured were Romy Alegre Dequiña, 42; Regie Rubin Subong, 21; Carlo Marcos Pelarta, 30; Angelito Alpas Tamayo Jr., 38; Rodrigo Baldevieso Vallota, 36; Leonard Dote Luardo, 20; Danny Boy Semillano Alvarez, 29; Herson Rubin Subong, 32; Melody Dequiña Jocson, 33; and JR Alegre Blanca, 31, who are all residents of Purok Concordia, said Arao.

RELATED STORY

Lightning strike in Cotabato town kills farmer, hurts another