12-year-old electrocuted by power line sustains second-degree burns

A 12-year-old child sustained second-degree burns after being electrocuted by wires hanging along a footbridge being constructed in Sangandaan, Caloocan City last week.

Alexander Pontares, a tanod of Barangay 7 who witnessed the incident, said the child was walking on the roof of the footbridge last Wednesday when he heard an explosion.

"Naglalakad siya sa taas ng bubungan. Nakita ko na lang sumabit 'yung ulo niya sa wire... Biglang sumabog tapos dumapa na siya, nawalan siya ng malay. Boom! Talagang malakas," he said in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday, as the victim reportedly initially refused to be treated and tried to leave when he was being placed on a stretcher.

"Hinabol daw po siya ng kaaway tapos wala siyang choice na biglang umakyat siya doon," said Jonathan Natividad, a brother of the child, who is also now seeking financial help for the medical expenses.

For its part, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said most of the child's body sustained burns, and an initial investigation showed that children usually played on the footbridge being constructed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

"90% ng katawan may lapnos siya tapos second degree burn ang inabot," FO2 Gerald Gamay of the Special Rescue Unit of the Caloocan BFP said in the same report.

"Palagi daw sila naglalaro don tapos lagi daw silang sinasaway. Parang ginagawa nilang playground 'yung footbridge. 'Yung mga trabahador naman daw doon sinasaway daw naman nila pero makulit talaga," he added.

The construction company in charge of the footbridge had reportedly provided the victim's family with assistance, which the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it was also going to do.

"Kami naman, 'pag may mga ganiyang insidente, kahit hindi kami ang responsable, we still go out of our way to find a way to assist the individual," said Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News