By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Police authorities in Marawi City have appealed to parents to watch their children closely following a drowning incident that claimed the lives of five children on Thursday.
Col. Caesar Cabuhat, Lanao del Sur Police director, issued the appeal hours after five of six children playing in a backyard wetland drowned at about 11 a.m.
The unfortunate incident occurred at a pond in Phase 2, Permanent Shelter, Barangay Panoroganan, Marawi City.
“The fatalities ranged in age from 7 to 11 years old, all residents of Marawi City,” Cabuhat said over a local radio station here Friday.
An eight-year-old girl, a resident of Barangay Mipantao Gadongan, survived and told police how the tragedy happened.
The investigation showed that the surviving minor was using a broken refrigerator as an improvised flotation device in the pond. Her companions pushed her to the middle of the pond.
“While pushing it toward the deeper part of the water, she lost her balance and fell into the pond. Her companions tried to rescue her by swimming toward her. However, as they reached the deep part of the pond, they began to drown,” Cabuhat said.
After several hours of rescue and retrieval operations by first responders and concerned citizens, all six minors were recovered and transported to the Amai Pakpak Medical Center.
Cabuhat said of the six minors involved in the mishap, five were declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
The deceased minors were taken by their parents and brought home for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
The survivor remained in the hospital for further medical intervention.
Cabuhat urged parents to always look after their children to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Police have cordoned off the accident site, while the city government has posted signage and directed village officials across the city to secure ponds to prevent minors from using them as playgrounds. (PNA)
