Tornados kill baby, injure 3 in Bulacan

By George Trillo

MALOLOS CITY– Three persons were injured in Bulacan and a seven-month-old baby died in Pampanga when two tornadoes hit the two provinces last week leaving millions in damages.

Felicisima Mungcal, action officer of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Management Office identified the victims as Cesar James Alcaraz, 19; and Arnold Castillo, 35; of Barangay San Juan; and Eduardo Tusol, 22; of Barangay Santol, all in Balagtas town.

All three victims suffered minor injuries and were rushed to the Bulacan Bulacan Medical Center here.

A PDMO report said a tornado ripped through Barangay Wawa and San Juan in Balagtas town, then at barangays Tuktukan, Tabe and Malis in the nearby Guiguinto town around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Strong winds brought by the tornado caused power outage in the said towns, even in Malolos City, aside from stripping iron roofing of some houses along its path.

Balagtas police reported P100,000 worth of damages in Barangay Wawa and San Juan, while in Guiguinto, damage was estimated at P1.2-million.

Witnesses said the horizon dimmed and they thought that heavy rains would follow.

Soon, they realized they were wrong as strong winds started to pummel them.

“Natakot yung mga tao sa palengke ng Balagtas kaya nagkanya-kanyang pulasan sa loob,” a witness said.

This is the first tornado incident in Bulacan since 2007 when four tornadoes ripped through the towns of Baliuag, Bustos, San Rafael and San Miguel on different occasions.

In San Luis, Pampanga, a seven-month-old baby died when strong winds brought by another tornado pushed her on the air on Saturday.

The victim was identified as Mhoana Marie Pabustan of Barangay Sto. Tomas, San Luis town.

Erlinda Garcia, the victim’s grandmother said the seven-month-old Pabustan was sleeping on a hammock inside their house when strong winds stripped away the house roof where the hammock was tied.

Garcia said she tried to grab the hammock but it was carried away by strong winds and lifted Mhoana as high as 30 feet before falling on a concrete dike some 10 meters away from their house.

She and some neighbors immediately rushed Mhoana to a nearby hospital but she died.