5 houses collapse, 10 hurt as flood sweeps Caloocan residential area

Ten people were hurt after an early morning downpour caused a flash flood in Barangay 188 Tala, Caloocan City on Tuesday.

According to a report by Susan Enriquez on GMA 7 news program 24 Oras, the flood, carrying trash and mud along with it, swept through the community at around midnight.

Five houses collapsed, while the perimeter fence of the nearby Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital also gave way due to the force of the flood.

Resident Edna Cencil said she almost lost her one-month-old grandchild when the flood suddenly swept through their house.

"Bigla na lang may gumanun sa likod ko. 'Yun pala, tubig na 'yun. Na-alsa na 'yung apo ko, buti nasalo ko. Tapos nagulat ako kung ano 'yun. Buti nahawakan ko pa 'yung paa ng bunso ko na dalawang taon pa lang pero mataas na talaga 'yung tubig," Cencil recounted.

A senior citizen also dislocated his shoulder when he attempted to create a hole on their wall which would allow the rushing floodwater to drain from their home.

"Bubutasan ko sana 'yung pader, eh paglingat ko bigla na lang 'Bang!' Gumanun na lang, natangay ako pero napansin ko 'yung mayroong hollowblock na 'yun ang tumama sa akin, lumubog ako. Nakainom ako ng tubig. Pinilit ko lang umahon," another resident, Danilo Lobarbio, said.

The chief administrator of the Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital said that the rainwater that had accumulated in the hospital's compound caused their fence to give way.

"Biglang lakas ng bagsak ng ulan. So siguro sa dami ng rainwater na bumagsak, ito pong area na ito, napuno until such time na 'yung sa ilalim ng... Actually mayroon kaming binutas dyan eh sa ilalim ng perimeter fence kaya lang sa talagang excessive po 'yung rainwater kagabi, 'di na niya nakayanan. Napuno ho 'yung area na ito hanggang sa nag-collapse 'yung ating perimeter fence," explained the hospital's chief administrator Engineer Nilo Marayag,.

The hospital offered to shoulder the medical expenses of those injured and assist residents whose homes were damaged.

Aside from restoring the perimeter fence, the medical facility would also construct waterways around its compound.

According to the local government, 134 individuals were affected by the flood. — Dona Magsino/DVM, GMA News