BY GLAZYL MASCULINO
BACOLOD CITY – Rescuers crossed a 50-meter wide river to rescue 22 family members whose houses were hit by river flood in Barangay Mambaroto, Sipalay, Nergos Occidental, on Wednesday.
Executive Assistant Dionilo Bogtae, head of the Public Safety and Sipalay Emergency Assistance and Rescue Services (SEARS), said heavy rains poured on Tuesday night, causing the water level in Sipalay river to increase.
They’ve placed the river under close monitoring for possible flood, until the following day, they received a call for assistance, he said.
Bogtae said these individuals in three households were trapped in a river flood which already reached window level of their houses, causing damage to their valuables.
“We were ready even before we received the call, thus we deployed 12 personnel for the rescue operation,” he added.
Bogtae said the river flood reached 3 meters high, putting them in danger. The rescue operation lasted for one hour.
Most of the rescued individuals were children, with youngest at seven months old, he said. They were all safe, he said.
He said the evacuated residents were temporarily sheltered at their relatives and were provided with food assistance.
He said residents started to build their houses there since the area has not been flooded for so long, until recently.
