Boy, 11, electrocuted at foam party in Iloilo; dies

An 11-year-old boy died after he and his 25-year-old friend were electrocuted during a foam party in the town of Banate in Iloilo on the early morning of June 25, 2026.

The two victims are residents of Barangay Magdalo.

They were brought immediately to the hospital but the boy passed away later.

Investigation by the Banate police revealed that the two snuck into an area near the stage that was cordoned off and security personnel might not have seen them.

It was the 25-year-old man who reportedly stepped on a live wire first. The 11-year-old boy saw what happened and tried to help his friend but he, too, got electrocuted.

“Maaaring naapakan nila ang open wire. Foam party, maaaring nabasa, na-electrocute sila. Kapag nasa dulo, ang lahat ng boltahe sa ‘yo. Ano na daw siya (Prince), nangingitim,” said Lt. Maria Cherry Demarana, Officer-in-charge of the Banate Municipal Police Station.

(It's possible they stepped on an open wire. It was a foam party, so it might have gotten wet and electrocuted them. And if it was on the edge, they absorbed all of the charge. One of the victims turned black.)

Investigation into the incident continues, as of this writing, to identify liability but according to Banate Mayor Junjun Gonzales, he has spoken with the families of the victims and they have reportedly agreed to settle the matter with the operator of the sound system.

“Nagkakasayahan na kasi. ‘Yun yung pagpasok nila. Hindi naman natin hiningi or alam na makukuryente sila. Istrikto talaga siguro. Kahit ano pang kagustuhan ng tao, huwag nating i-tolerate,” he said.

(They were celebrating. That's when they entered. We did not know they would be electrocuted. It was probably strict. No matter what people want, we should not tolerate it.)

GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas tried to get a statement from the boy’s family but they have declined an interview. —Kim Salinas, GMA Regional TV News