An eight-year-old boy died after a large buri tree fell on their house in Purok Fire Tree, Brgy. Bulanon, Sagay City on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 5.
The victim was identified as “Joshua”, a Grade 2 student.
His father, Gremar Charita Abelada, confirmed that the boy was pronounced dead.
The incident happened shortly after 3 p.m. in Purok Fire Tree 2 while Joshua was inside a bedroom using a mobile phone.
Maribel Abelada, the victim’s grandmother, said she had just returned from their garden when she heard a loud crash and a family member screaming.
She found that the tree had fallen on and damaged their house, trapping Joshua inside the bedroom.
The boy’s mother and her twin sister were in the kitchen when the tree fell and were not trapped.
The family and nearby residents sought assistance because the tree was too large and heavy to move manually.
A tractor was used to lift and move the tree before rescuers could free the child and bring him to a hospital.
The grandmother said Joshua showed no signs of life when he was recovered and had sustained a severe head injury.
She estimated that the tree was about 50 years old and said there were no strong winds before it fell.
The family had reportedly planned to have the tree cut down, while an inspection after the incident showed that only a small portion of its roots had remained attached to the ground.
The boy had just returned from school and was resting because he was not feeling well before the incident.
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