Red tide kills 5-yr-old boy, downs 12 others in Sorsogon

A five-year-old boy was killed while 12 others were hospitalized Wednesday night after eating shellfish contaminated with red tide toxin in Sorsogon province. Radio station dzMM reported Thursday that the fatality was identified as Vicente Serillo Jr, while his sister Margie, 8, remains in critical condition at the provincial hospital in Sorsogon City. Two neighboring fisherfolk families in the city fell ill after eating the contaminated mussels for dinner Wednesday. Members of the Serillo family who remain confined at the hospital include the children's parents Vicente Sr, 47; and Rosie, 46; as well as their siblings Carina, 17; Carmela, 12; and Christian, 13. Meanwhile, members of the other family that were rushed to the hospital are parents Alfredo Agripa, 34; and Jenny Agripa, 35; as well as their children Jean, 11; Aljun, 7; Ella, 6; and Cheryline, 3. All the victims are under observation at the hospital, the report added. Provincial health officer Edgar Garcia said that despite warnings from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the two families still ate the contaminated shellfish. Aside from Sorsogon City, the BFAR also raised red tide alerts in the coastal waters of Milagros Bay in Masbate; Juag Lagoon in Matnog; Bislig Bay in Bislig City in Surigao del Sur; Hinatuan Bay in Surigao del Sur; and Dumanguilas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur. In June, two children were killed and five others were rushed to the hospital in Casiguran town, also in Sorsogon province, after eating red tide-contaminated mussels. - GMANews.TV