Death toll in Cavite bridge collapse now at 8

The fatalities in the collapse of a bridge in Dasmariñas City, Cavite has increased to eight, local police said Thursday.

Interviewed at dzBB’s Super Radyo, Dasmariñas Police chief Lieutenant Colonel Juan Uruga said authorities have recovered the body of the last victim in the incident that happened Tuesday evening.

The victim is a boy of minor age, who was found at  4:49 p.m. Thursday, Uruga said.

“‘Yung mga barangay officials di nagkukulang ng paalala at pagsaway sa mga kabataan na tumatambay sa lugar na ‘yun. Matagal na po, 2014 pa lang hindi na pinatatambayan. Pinapipigilan po ng LGU (local government unit),” the police chief said.

(The barangay officials have long warned the people not to go there.  Since 2014, the LGU has been saying prohibiting people from staying in the bridge.)

“Sa katigasan ng ulo ng ilang kabataan, ginagawang tambayan. Ginawan na ng paraan na maharangan, binakuran na rin po. Noong araw na yun, sinaway din ng mga baranagay. Pag-alis ng mga barangay, bumalik at nag-Tiktok,” he  added.

(But some of them do not listen and still go there to hang out. The barangay has put up blockages and fences. Even on the day of the incident, barangay officials told them off but after the officials left, they went back to create a TikTok video.)

Based on initial information, 13 people, most of them youngsters, were on the old bridge when it collapsed. Five survived the incident.

Uruga said the bodies of all victims have been recovered. The city government, has offered assistance to the victims’ families, he added.—LDF, GMA News