Courtesy: San Jose del Monte PIO
(UPDATED)
AN 80-year-old woman died while more than 50 churchgoers were injured as part of a Bulacan church collapsed on Ash Wednesday.
Police identified the person who died in the incident as 80-year old Luneta Morales, who did not survive the injuries she sustained when the second floor of St. Peter Apostle Parish Church in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan collapsed.
Parish priest Romulo Perez says the second floor was observed to have been infested by termites.
According to the San Jose del Monte Public Information Office (PIO), part of the second floor collapsed past 7 a.m. Wednesday.
The city’s PIO said that as of 9:35 a.m., 44 injured individuals were rushed to different hospitals.
Of this number, 24 were brought to the Ospital ng Lungsod ng San Jose del Monte, nine to the Tala Hospital, five to the Brigino General Hospital, three to the Skyline Hospital, two to Labpro Diagnostic Center, and one to the Grace General Hospital.
The city government will shoulder all of the medical expenses of the victims, according to the city PIO.
It has also ordered the temporary closure of the church pending the assessment of the city engineering and building officials.
Ayson said the church had undergone renovation but the interior of the church and its mezzanine are already old.
CDRRMO head Gina Ayson said that the second floor, which is made of wood, collapsed as people lined up for the marking of ashes on their foreheads.
“Medyo marami po talagang tao dahil sabay po kasi siya eh sa pagpila ng pagpapahid ng abo kaya po talagang medyo dumagsa po ang tao,” she told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.
She said the victims suffered minor injuries such as bruises and shoulder pain. There was no reported fatality or critical injuries in the incident as of posting time.
Witnesses reported hearing screams and shouting before the wooden floor gave way.
The city’s PIO said that as of 9:35 a.m., 44 injured individuals were rushed to different hospitals.
