6 dead after house collapses in Barangay Bahay Toro, QC

Six people died after a house being built beside Culiat River in Sitio Bathala, Barangay Bahay Toro in Quezon City collapsed Friday night.

Police said the fatalities were identified as Benito Añora, Nilo Mangoso, Donald Conde, Ryan Regueros, Johnny Gabin and Reymark Diestro, according to a report on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday.

One person, identified as Efren Milan, survived.

The men, who were construction workers, were reportedly having a drinking session on the house's rooftop when the building collapsed.

bahay sa gilid ng creek sa brgy bahay toro qc gumuho apat katao sugatan tatlo. pa nirerescue @dzbb pic.twitter.com/Dqe3S5iu8B

— Rodil Vega (@Rodveg72) December 14, 2018

Mike Marasigan, chief of the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the ground where the foundation of the house was built may have softened due to the rains.

Personnel from the Quezon City Engineering Office will visit the area to check, since the foundation may have been built past the easement for the river. 

The victims were said to be extending the house of couple Ryan and Rose Rogueros when the incident happened, according to a Balitanghali report by Cecile Villarosa.

Due to the darkness and incessant rains, it took rescuers a long time to pull out the victims who were brought to the Quezon City General Hospital.

Diestro was said to be the last person to be recovered from the site due to delays, as a wall fell over him and he was under water.

Rescuers manually demolished the wall before using a chainsaw to hasten their search for Diestro.

Diestro's relatives were emotional while they waited for his body to be retrieved.

"Siya po 'yung huling-huling nakuha sa pitong nadaganan ng bahay. Gumuho po kasi yung bahay na ginagawa diyan po," said Rosemarie Laureta, a relative of one of the victims.

Lucia Simasio, a live-in partner of one of the victims, narrated that her husband was invited for the drinking session by his workmates.

"Umuwi na 'yun sa bahay, bumalik siya du'n, niyaya siya mag-inuman daw. 'Yun na, hindi ko nga alam kung paano nagganyan, kay dira ako sa bahay. Nalaman ko na lang na gumuho na 'yung ano nila bahay du'n," Simasio said.

Alona, Mangoso's wife, also shed tears upon hearing about the death of her husband, who still had a pulse after being recovered from the collapse.

"Kasi mga ka-bro 'yung andu'n eh. Mga kaibigan niya, mga kapitbahay, siyempre iisa lang po 'yung ano nila, tapos paganun-ganun lang magugulat ka na lang sa isang iglap lang kalalabas lang ng bahay bigla na lang magaganun," Mangoso said.

"Basta biglaan na lang eh kasi minsan 'pag nakakapanood ako ng guho merong ganu'n ganu'n (with hand gestures) pero 'yun biglang ganu'n lang siya eh (with hand gestures uli," said Ruby Lumactud, wife of one of the victims.

Marasigan said they were also looking into the possibility that the construction committed a violation due to its closeness to the river.

"Unengineered 'yung structure sa initial assessment namin. Ito'y nakatayo sa tabi ng creek, ilog, which is violating the easement, dapat at least three meters away. Obviously, ito, walang permits ito," Marasigan said. — with Jamil Santos/KG/MDM, GMA News