17-year-old scavenger loses hand, leg after abandoned house collapses in Manila

A teenager lost a hand and a leg after he was pinned by a portion of a house being demolished in Tondo, Manila on Monday. 

According to Emil Sumangil’s exclusive report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday, residents rushed to the scene at the New Antipolo area and rescued the victim from the wreckage. 

The accident resulted in the victim losing his right hand and right leg. Neighbors carried the victim and loaded him into a tricycle to rush him to a hospital, where he is currently being treated for his severe injuries.

“I was the one who rescued him... I saw him hanging there, so I climbed up and cleared away the stones that were pinning him down,” shared one of the residents. 

The victim was with another companion who was also pinned by the debris and sustained minor injuries to the head and limbs. 

The companion said he and the victim returned to the abandoned houses by the railroad tracks that were demolished by the government. They intended to chip away at the posts to recover scrap metal and materials that could be recycled and sold.

“We didn't think anything like that would happen... we were surprised when the ground we were standing on suddenly collapsed,” he said. 

Both teenagers were able to jump. But the badly injured victim wasn’t able to avoid the falling debris after his shorts got caught. 

“He was supposed to jump, but his shorts got snagged, so he wasn't able to get away from the beam that crushed him,” the companion added. 

Neighbors said the victim relies on scavenging to take care of himself and his siblings as both their parents are in jail. 

“He was thinking about his sibling's expenses. He was the one acting as their father figure,” the companion said. 

Meanwhile, the victim’s grandfather already warned him not to go to the said area. 

“He was warned: 'Don't go there anymore, the foundation is weak... if you keep that up, it’s going to collapse.' But he didn't listen; he needed the money,” the man said. 

Investigation showed the frequent chipping away at the posts by scavengers in the area partly caused the structure's collapse.

“That is the reason we are looking at as to why the house collapsed; it was demolished, but people kept returning to recover whatever they could use, and then the accident happened,” said Manila Police District (MPD) spokesperson Police Major Philipp Ines. 

Meanwhile, the MPD already coordinated with the Bureau of Fire Protection to retrieve the body parts of the victim from the area. 

The Manila City Hall also vowed to provide assistance to the victim. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News