In Consolacion, Indian national found dead 6 hours after being swept away by floodwaters

Rescuers recovered at dawn on Tuesday, October 5, the body of an Indian national, who was swept away by floodwaters while crossing a river in barangay Nangka in Consolacion town. | Photo from Consolacion Police Station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An Indian national and his female companion were in a hurry to reach the safety of their homes in Purok 4 in Barangay Nangka in Consolacion town while it rained at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 4.

But the motorcycle that was driven by Valjinder Singh, 34, slipped while they were traversing a portion of the Cansaga River in Sitio Latasan causing him and Jezil Natingga, 25, to fall into the river.

Natingga was rescued by neighbors who heard her plea for help.  But Valjinder was swept away by the strong water current. His body was found 6 hours later at about 1 a.m. on the waters of Barangay Tayud, a coastal barangay in Consolacion town, located about 250 meters away from where the incident happened in Barangay Nangka.

Police Senior Master Sergeant Ramon Chinel, desk officer of the Consolacion Police Station, said they are now tying to get in touch with relatives of Valjinder for his funeral arrangements.

Chinel said that the Indian national rents a place in Purok 4 while Natingga is from the nearby Purok 8.

He said poor visibility caused by the rain made their travel home difficult.

“Ang nahitabo man gud ani kay last night, kusog ang ulan. Kini atoang biktima ug ag iyang kauban, nagsakay ni sila og motor unya miscalculate nila, dapit sa side sa river, sa sapa. Na accidentally slide sila ngadto padung sa atoang sapa unya karon kusog man ang baha, mao to naanod si Indian. Ang babae, na(rescue) nani sa bystanders, natabangan,” Chinel said.

(It was raining hard last night.  The victim and his companion were on a motorcycle and he may have miscalculated his movement that is why they fell into the river.  They accidentally fell into the river and since it was raining hard, it was also flooding that is why the Indian national was swept away.  His female companion was rescued by bystanders.)

It was raining in Cebu on Monday after the island was placed under Cyclone Warning Signal No. 1 due to #LanniePH.

As a practice, Chinel said that police personnel would normally patrol the barangays to ensure the safety of residents. But since it was raining then, they did not have personnel on field when the incident happened.

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/ dcb