2 Children Swept Away by Strong River Current While Crossing in Guihulngan City
Two young children were swept away by a strong river current while trying to cross in Barangay Balogo, Guihulngan City.
The two young siblings were on their way home from school when the incident happened. A video taken by their cousin showed the two crying in fear as the rushing water carried them downstream.
Barangay Captain Jeffrey Delarita shared that despite the terrifying experience, the siblings managed to get to safety by clinging to tree roots along the riverbank. Thankfully, they were rescued without any serious injuries.
Both children have been given counseling and are now in stable condition.
Delarita expressed his concern over the incident, pointing to an unfinished spillway project in their area as a major factor in the flooding. He explained that the construction of the spillway began in February 2024 and was expected to be completed by the end of the year. However, work reportedly stopped unexpectedly, leaving the project abandoned.
Records from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website show that the spillway project in Barangay Balogo had a budget of over 4.9 million pesos under the DPWH Negros Oriental District 1 and was contracted to Gram Construction and Supply.
It was officially marked as completed in June 2024, which raised questions about why the project appears unfinished on-site.
Attempts were made to contact DPWH Negros Oriental District 1 and Gram Construction and Supply for clarification, but there was no response from either party as of this writing.
Residents are now calling for immediate action to address the problem, as the safety of children and other locals is at risk every time they need to cross the river.
In another post, a coffin carried through raging flood in Laurel, Batangas
The social media users expressed their reactions to the incident:
