OCD: 4 schoolchildren drown in Iloilo, 1 missing

Four schoolchildren died while a fifth was missing after being swept by a strong current while crossing a river in Iloilo province, the Office of the Civil Defense said Tuesday. In a radio interview, OCD Region 6 head Rose Cabrera said the bodies of the four had been recovered and brought to their respective families. "There are four, nadala ng malakas na agos ng tubig (There are four fatalities so far. They were crossing the river at the time when they were washed away by the current)," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive officer and OCD administrator Benito Ramos identified the fatalities as siblings Michael, 14; Mark, 12; Mariel, 7; all surnamed Martinez; and a companion, Celino Ganancial, 7. The missing was identified as one Lyka Llosendo, 8. Citing initial reports reaching her, Cabrera said the children were crossing the Lipata River in Barotac Viejo town when the incident occurred. At the time, Ramos said heavy downpour was prevailing in the area. — RSJ, GMA News