Friday, August 03, 2007 3 huge trees fall on roof of bldg., scaring 100 kids inside school
CLASSES at the Busay Elementary School were cancelled at past 2 p.m. yesterday after three huge trees fell on the roof of a school building, scaring over 100 pupils inside.
Romulo Guarin of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDC) rushed to the mountain barangay after receiving a call for help from barangay officials over their UHF base radio.
Guarin said a lobres tree, which grew on the slope near the school, gave way due to the incessant rains the past three days.
Big hole
As it fell, its branches hit two gemelina trees and dragged them with it. The three came crashing down on the school building’s roof and created a big hole on it. The trees hit the roof with a loud crash, scaring the schoolchildren.
But nobody was hurt in the incident, although the teachers and pupils were badly shaken.
“Nanghilak intawn ang mga bata sa kahadlok sa nipaka didto sa atop. Nanagan didto sa gawas unya gipamiyaan ilang mga butang (The children cried. They ran outside, leaving their things behind),” Guarin told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
Guarin led the rescue team with technical staffers Jeanpaul Saavedra and Ernesto Ngujo to the site immediately.
They cut down the trees and cleared the area so the children could return and get their things.
But it was getting dark so they stopped the clearing. The chainsaw had also run out of oil.
Classes may have to be cancelled again today because the team has to continue the cleanup.
But Guarin told the teachers that they may hold classes today once the roof is fixed and the rooms are cleared of the debris.
The City Government dispatched two more teams from the CCDCC to check on the reported landslides in Barangays Busay and Buot Taup.
City Councilor and CCDCC action officer Gerardo Carillo said the team will check the structural integrity of the Busay Elementary School and see if the students’ safety was compromised.
In Buot Taup, residents also observed soil movements.
“We have to check if the students are still safe in the school. If we find out that the structural integrity of the buildings will compromise the safety of the students then we will have to find a way to relocate them,” Carillo told Sun.Star Cebu. (GAC/ LCR)
