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Monday, September 06, 2004
Hanging bridge snaps; 8 pupils injured
By Joy G. Romares
DAVAO CITY -- Eight children on an educational field trip in the district of Baguio in Davao City were injured after a hanging bridge they were walking on snapped Sunday.
Brought to the Davao Medical Center (DMC) were Rosemae Taboco, 9, Michelle Bertodaso, 9, Jessa Mae Orado, 9, Jepherson Surigao, 10, Lendel Toling, 10, Rey Carl Gulosino, 10, Norijane Manilat, 10, and Gerlyn Estigoy, 10, all students of San Juan Elementary school in Agdao, also in Davao City.
At least 30 panicky parents arrived at the hospital emergency room after hearing on the radio that a jeep carrying students on an educational trip fell off a bridge.
Sun.Star learned that selected pupils from Grades 3, 4, and 5 left home at about 6 a.m. for the field trip.
Five teachers, one of who was Melinda Villaflor, accompanied them.
"Giingnan nako sila na isa-isa lang kay dili kaya sa tulay ang daghan (I told them to cross the bridge one by one because it can't carry a heavy load)," Villaflor said.
But the children, who had difficulty containing their excitement, didn't take heed of the warning.
"Kalit lang mi nangahulog kay nabali man ang tulay, unya ang uban sa amoa naggunitay man og kamot mao nga nangahulog pod ang uban nga nagsunod," Estigoy said. (We suddenly fell because the bridge snapped. Some of us were holding hands of other classmates, so they likewise fell with us.)
The parents of the children rushed in panic to the hospital after hearing a radio report saying a jeepney carrying students on an educational field trip fell off a bridge.
One of the parents said she rushed to the hospital when she heard the radio report saying the jeep was going very fast before it fell off the bridge.
It took some time for the hospital security guard to restore order in the emergency compound.
"Wala'y namatay, ayaw mo ka-panic, walay jeep nahulog sa tulay, nabali ang tulay nga giagian sa mga bata, mao lang," Merlita Serra, DMC security guard, told parents. (No one died, don't panic. There was no jeepney that fell off the bridge. It was the hanging bridge where the children walked on that fell. That's all.)
The most seriously injured among the pupils only suffered a fractured arm.
(September 6, 2004 issue)
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