According to Mandaue City’s disaster response office, an 8-year-old boy named Charlie Ranile, a resident of Maguikay, went mising around 3 pm on Tuesday, January 10.
He fell into the Butuanon River, and was swept away by the river’s current.
The heavy rains were caused by tropical depression Auring. On Monday, January 10, PAGASA released a weather advisory informing that typhoon Auring has weakened into a Low Pressure Area (LPA).
Felix Suico, the city’s disaster response head, said that a team was immediately deployed to search for the boy. But as of 7 pm, the boy had not been found.
Suico said the river began overflowing around 8 pm on Monday evening, causing nearby houses to be swamped. He said that despite recommendations to evacuate, families insisted on staying. “But should the river water rise further later, we will force them to evacuate,” Suico said.