Ten families were preemptively evacuated after a retaining wall along the Palampas River in San Carlos City showed signs of possible collapse and ground fissures were threatening to sink houses, Joe Alingasa Jr., City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (CDRRMO), said Sunday, May 14.
“A portion of the retaining wall along Palampas River at Purok Tindalo, Barangay 1 shows early signs of possible collapse due to scouring,” he said.
Ten adjacent houses were also found to have cracks in their floors, and one sank, Aligansa said
“Portions beneath the houses are hollow and water has seeped in, it looks like a cave”, he said.
Personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways, City Engineering Department and CDRRMO Community Risk Assessment Team had conducted an investigation on the cause of the visible cracks in the retaining wall and ground fissures, he said.
Barangay Captain Joselito Lopez and Kagawad John Pomar Jr. led the evacuation together with the CDRRMO.
Families are being provided with food by barangay personnel at the Barangay 1 Multipurpose Gym, Alingasa said.*