Body of teen from truck swept away by Carmen, Cebu flooding found

The body of the last missing victim from a pick-up truck that was swept away by an overflowing river in Carmen, Cebu has been found in a nearby town.

According to a Super Radyo dzBB report by Futch Anthony Inso, Carmen Mayor Carlo Villamor said that the 15-year-old boy was found dead in the sea in Borbon, Cebu.

The last victim accounted for all seven individuals missing after the raging river swept away their vehicle on Monday evening, according to a report by GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak.

The 17 people on the pick-up had been on their way back from a resort when the vehicle attempted to cross the river while it was swelling due to a downpour. Ten people were rescued while the seven were reported missing. The body of one of the missing persons, an 11-year-old girl, was found later that night. All have since been found deceased.

On Tuesday, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. directed the Office of the President and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to ensure that the survivors of the incident would receive the necessary assistance following the tragedy.

“I also directed the Office of the President and the DSWD to provide assistance to the local government units affected by the flooding. We include all those affected in our thoughts and in our prayers,” Marcos said during the opening ceremony of the 64th Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City.

"Rest assured, national and local governments are working closely to bring speedy help to those who are affected by the heavy rains, especially in Carmen, in Minglanilla, and Cebu,” he added.

A 24 Oras report by Nikko Sereno on Wednesday stated that the survivors are undergoing psychosocial interventions in Carmen.

Accident site

The Office of Civil Defense Region 7 also began inspections of the accident site on Monday afternoon.

“Yung area medyo madulas talaga, so we are recommending na we will come up with rail kasi kung may rail doon na matibay-tibay siguro, it will help. Hindi maaanod yung pick-up,” said OCD-7 regional director Joel Erestain.

(The area is really slippery, so we are recommending na we will come up with a rail because if there was a strong enough rail there, it will help. The pick-up would not have been caught in the flood.)

PAGASA Visayas also said that recent heavy rains in the area were what caused the flash flood that unleashed water amounting up to 40 standard size swimming pools from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.

“That event was an extreme rainfall event [caused by] thunderstorms, July 8 that was Monday and a series of thunderstorms… Ang nangyari sa Carmen mas marami ang binuhos na tubig [what happened in Carmen was that there was more water pouring down] due to thunderstorms; 101 millimeters of rain in the span of three to four hours,” said PAGASA Visayas Head Engineer Al Quiblat. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News