GUIGUINTO, Bulacan (Updated) – Eleven people were killed and four others were seriously injured when a wall of a warehouse building along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Ilang-Ilang collapsed.
Bulacan Police chief Ferdinand Divina identified the fatalities as Nestor Maiton, Jonathan Sagayap, Cinto Nayanga, Rodolfo Nayanga, Jerald Nayanga, Joseph Bellones, Arnel Cardaño, Agnes Tan-Santos and Arnold Humawan all workers on the site and two minors.
Television and radio reports said the incident took place around 3:30 p.m. when a wall of a warehouse owned by certain Dante Chua collapsed, pinning down the barracks of the workers.
The victims were immediately brought to the nearest hospital.
Guiguinto municipal administrator Edilberto Cruz said they were looking at three factors which may have caused the incident.
"First is mukhang substandard ang mga ginamit na materyales sa pagtayo nung building tapos we experienced earthquake here two weeks ago and during the past two days maulan so may tendency na lumambot ang lupa," the official said.
Reports have it that the steel bars used in the collapsed wall were substandard.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), for its part, sees negligence on the part of the owner and contractor.
“There must be some kind of negligence on the safety regulations and standards that led to the deaths,” TUCP executive vice president Gerard Seno.
He said government regulation requires project owners and contractors in all types of constructions work to have a construction safety and health program, ensure all workers have personal protective equipment, project safety personnel, emergency occupational health personnel and facilities, construction safety signages, construction safety and health committee and workers’ welfare facilities.
“This accident can be prevented, if not minimized, if these two are faithfully performing their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the occupational safety and health regulations and standards,” said Seno.
Cruz said the owner of the building identified as Dante Chua was "nowhere to be found."(with PNA/HDT/Sunnex- By Third Anne Peralta/ SunStar
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