CRUMBLED. The hanging footbridge in Barangay Latazon in Laua-an town, Antique province collapsed injuring one personnel of the Department of Trade and Industry provincial office and its two on-the-job trainees on Wednesday (June 15, 2022). The bridge collapsed due to overloading, according to Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Broderick Train. (Photo courtesy of Arlene Pedro)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – A personnel of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and its two on-the-job trainees (OJTs) were injured after a hanging bridge they were crossing collapsed in Barangay Latazon in the Municipality of Laua-an on Wednesday.
Antique Trade and Industry development specialist Glen Fernando, in an interview on Thursday, identified the injured as information technology personnel John Michael Villabert and OJTs Arlene Bangcaya of Barangay Necesito and Allyn Joy Necor of Barangay Intao, all from the said municipality.
Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Officer Broderick Train, in a separate interview, said the Municipal DRRMO of Laua-an was able to respond immediately to the scene.
“The cemented post of the hanging bridge toppled while its cable wire has collapsed that caused the accident,” he said.
The bridge collapsed due to overloading, according to Train.
“Villabert and the two OJTs were crossing the hanging bridge ahead of (Provincial) Director Dinda Tamayo when the Latazon hanging bridge gave way that caused the accident,” Fernando said in an interview.
Villabert sustained serious injuries on his face and head and was rushed to the Antique’s Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital.
He was transferred Wednesday night to the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Bangcaya sustained a fracture on her left thigh while Necor has wounds on her upper lip and eyebrow.
Before the incident, the group launched the PHP1.118-million shared service facilities for the traditional herbal medicines production of the Latazon Indigenous People Organization. (PNA)
