Woman dies trying to save dog in Antipolo landslide

A woman died in Antipolo, Rizal after getting trapped while rescuing her pet dog from a wall that collapsed in a residential area due to a landslide.

According to Dano Tingcunco’s “24 Oras” report on Monday, the downpour softened the land in a construction site in Barangay Sta. Cruz, causing a portion of the wall to collapse at around 7 p.m. on Sunday evening.  A loud explosion was heard before it came crushing.

The second portion of the wall fell at least 30 minutes later, with some residents able to flee before its collapse.

“Kung nagkasabay-sabay sana ‘yung guho maraming tatamaan. Buti na lang nung unang side na gumuho medyo nataranta ang mga tao at naglabasan. Kung nagsabay-sabay nang dagan ‘yun medyo marami marami ang mamamatay at buti na lang maaga. Kung hatinggabi tulog ang lahat baka ang lahat matabunan,” Barangay Sta. Cruz chairperson Cirilo Tenorio said

(If the wall collapsed at once, then more people may have died. Fortunately, residents fled after the collapse. It was also fortunate the incident happened in the early evening, not at midnight when everyone was asleep.)

Identified as Dina Lachica, the barangay official said the lone fatality died after attempting to save her pet dog. Tenorio said it took about three hours to recover her body from the deep mud.

“Nagluluto kasi ito at dun sa pagluluto nya, medyo may naririnig sya na medyo lumalalgitik na. Inuna nya ‘yung pamangkin nya na mailabas tapos binalikan niya yung aso nya, kaya nung mamatay hawak-hawak nya yung aso,” Tenorio said.

(She was cooking when she heard the noise. She immediately rescued her niece and went back for her dog, she died hugging her pet.)

“Nahirapan pa po kami muna dahil ang lagkit ng lupa. Buti na lang po at may nagpahiram ng backhoe para agarang, mahukay namin yung natabunan. Hinanap po namin, di namin makita. Di matunton kung saang lugar yung talagang nadaganan yung tao kaya naghukay kami nang naghukay hanggang sa nakita namin. Lumabas yung ulo at dun namin ginamit yung ano...mano-mano na para hindi masyadong nasalanta yung katawan,” Tenorio added.

(The rescue was difficult because the land was soft. We were lucky we were lent a backhoe so we immediately dug. We cannot locate her but after hours of digging, we saw her remains.)

About 22 families lost their homes in the incident. They are temporarily staying at the modular shelters of the barangay and were given relief goods.

GMA Integrated News reached out to the owner and the contractor of the construction site but they have yet to respond.

Tenorio, however, said the owners had coordinated with local authorities and said they will distribute financial aid and help in reconstructing the damaged homes.

“Matagal na itong pinaplano dahil gagamitin na po, gagawin nang subdivision yung kinatatayuan ng area,” said Tenorio, adding the residents were previously promised of lots 35 square meters each for their relocation.

(It has long been planned to convert the area into a subdivision.)

The Rizal provincial government will conduct an investigation on the incident.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News