17-year-old girl dies as riprap wall collapses in Brgy Tisa, Cebu City

Personnel from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) retrieve the body of the 17-year-old victim. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 17-year-old girl died after a riprap wall collapsed into their home in Sitio Gotchan Caduloy, Brgy. Tisa, Cebu City following an early morning landslide on Sunday, September 1.

Harold Alcontin, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said that the downpour that was experienced Saturday night, as a result of the Low Pressure Area and the Southwest Moonson, caused the soil in the area to soften and the riprap wall to collapse at around 3:45 a.m.

Alcontin said that the girl, a senior high school student, was buried in rubble.

READ: House falls into river after riprap wall collapses in Cebu City brgy

It took CDRRMO personnel, in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), at least four hours to retrieve the girl’s body, which they finally unearthed at around 8 a.m.

Alcontin said that five individuals were also injured and are currently recuperating at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

READ: Cebu City landslide: 35 families evacuated to safer place

Moreover, families from eight households were evacuated to the Tisa National High School.

Of the eight affected structures, four were totally damaged by the riprap wall collapse.

READ: Cebu City mountain barangay residents warned of landslides

Burial assistance

Alcontin said that acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has already given an instruction for the City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS) office to process the burial assistance for the dead girl.

In addition, Garcia wants the affected families evacuated and their needs assessed for the release of the needed assistance.

Meanwhile, Alcontin said they continue to monitor the situation in Caduloy.

He said that the riprap wall that collapsed in the area was part of the Kinalumsan River riprap.  It was constructed in a portion of Brgy. Buhisan but it collapsed towards the other side, in Brgy. Tisa where the victim’s house was located.

“Tungod sa mga tinambak, ni-saturate ang yuta. Ni dig up. Wala na makaato ang iyang riprap unya nihunlak padung sa balay sa pikas,” Alcontin said.

Alcontin said that all of the victims were asleep when the incident happened.

“Layo ra gyud [unta] sila kay pikas man gud ni nga barangay nga dalan ba. Naabtan lang gyud sila sa kuan tungod sa kataas sa wall nga gibuhat,” he added.