Five persons including a Boholano died after a four-story bunkhouse of a construction firm which had 163 people sleeping inside collapsed in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City at dawn on Tuesday.
Four other employees of the construction company were seriously injured while seven suffered slight injuries, said Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) Head Nagiel Bañacia.
In a Facebook post, Bañacia identified the Bohol native as Crisenciano Silomen, 57, of Barangay Kauswagan in Trinidad.
According to Bañacia, 103 people who were inside the temporary housing facility of Abraham Lee Construction escaped unharmed while 44 had scratches and bruises.
The CDRRMC has yet to identify the cause of the collapse while authorities are also determining the construction firm’s liability in the incident.
“Apil sa ilang investigation ang gitawag na construction, occupational safety and hazard—gi-unsa ang pamaagi nila, misubay ba sila sa saktong pamaagi sa pag-accommodate sa mga construction workers while sila nag-construct og mga building,” said Bañacia.
This afternoon, the Office of the Building Official (OBO) suspended all development projects being carried out by J.E. Abraham C. Lee Construction.
The firm was not issued permits by the OBO to build the bunkhouse, said OBO Cebu City chief Engr. Josefa Ylanan in a live interview. (AD)