Passengers missing after SUV fell into creek in Caloocan

Rescuers are searching for the people on board a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that fell into a creek in Caloocan City, Mayor Dale Malapitan said Tuesday.

Speaking to Super Radyo dzBB, Malapitan said the SUV was found at Durian Bridge an hour after it fell into a creek along Doña Aurora Street.

“Medyo malayo na 'yun, sa lakas na rin ng current ng baha (due to the current of the flood, the SUV drifted quite far),” Malapitan said. “Wala na yung pasahero sa loob. Patuloy ang ating paghahanap (there were no passengers inside the SUV.) ” 

"Dun sa mga missing natin, hanggang sa kasalukuyan, patuloy ang ating paghahanap at bilin na bilin po natin na 'wag po tayo tumigil hanggat hindi nahahanap yung missing persons natin,” he added.

(We will continue to search for the missing persons. We will not stop until we find them.)

The exact number of persons on board could not be determined as of posting time.

Malapitan explained that Doña Aurora Street was already impassable Monday evening when the SUV insisted on passing through.

“Sa CCTV sa command center, nakita natin yung pangyayari kaya agad dumating yung ating rescue doon,” Malapitan said.

(We saw what happened through the CCTV in our command center, so rescuers were immediately dispatched.)

Calamity response

As of 6 a.m., Malapitan reported that 2,972 individuals, or 980 families, have been evacuated due to the continuous downpour.

He noted that the evacuees were provided with hot meals and food packs at 39 active evacuation centers in the city.

“21 barangays ang binaha sa Caloocan [pero] maraming lugar ang humupa na (21 barangays in Caloocan were flooded, but many of those have already subsided),” Malapitan said.

He added that all main roads in Caloocan are passable. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RSJ, GMA Integrated News