Riprap collapses on house: Boy trapped under rubble

CEBU, Philippines- A 13-year-old boy remains trapped inside a house that was buried by the collapsing riprap of a nearby subdivision  after a heavy downpour yesterday in Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Casili, Mandaue City.

Vicente Cariquitan Jr., 13, was still unaccounted for as of last night after rocks and limestone buried the boarding house they shared with four other families. Earlier, his siblings Vladimir, 19; and Creslie, three years old, were rescued from the rubble.

Past 4 p.m. yesterday after the rain Ericson, 17, a brother of the two, reported hearing a loud rumbling noise from the riprap of the subdivision. He was in the house of a neighbor at the time.

His mother Anally, father Vicente Sr. and all his siblings were still in the house when their fellow tenant Liberato Libre warned them that chunks of limestone and rocks were falling from the riprap just next to the boarding house.

Anally and Vicente Sr. were able to bring Shekira, 10 months old; Klean, 9; and Shehan Grace, 11; out of the house, but Creslie, Vladimir, Vicente Jr. were still inside when the riprap collapsed on it.

The three were allegedly watching TV when the accident happened.

Ericson said he ran to the house and learned that while the others were safe Creslie, Vicente Jr., and Vladimir were nowhere to be found. However, Creslie was located and rescued quickly.

“Pag-abot nako si Creslie Vicente ug Vladimir naa sa ilawom. Ang una nakong nakit-an si Creslie natabang nako nadat-ogan og kahoy. Unya gipangita nako si Vicente ug si Vladimir dagko na man kaayo ang bato di na man matabang og alsa,” Ericson said.

Because they could no longer do anything they had to call for assistance from the local government for heavy equipment.

Members of the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation Inc., ACERT, Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Mandaue City Fire Station, Mandaue City Police Office, and officials from Barangays Tawason, Casili and Cubacub also responded to the alarm and helped dig through the limestone that covered the house.

They located Vladimir alive and dug a hole near where he was pinned by the rubble. Vladimir was very weak; rescuers fixed him with a dextrose and gave him oxygen to prevent him from going into cardiac arrest.

“Sakit kaayo di na makaya,” Ericson quoted his brother as telling rescuers.

Vicente Jr., was not yet located as of press time.

Ericson said he started thinking the riprap would give way after it started “swelling” three weeks ago. The other families they shared the house with started staying indoors less and less since then.

The riprap was built for the development of the nearby Villa Sebastiana Subdivision.

The boarding house was reportedly owned by a certain Helen Magaling, the Cariquitans were renting the basement of the house. — /BRP (FREEMAN)