2 senior high students died of drowning in Cotabato province

KIDAPAWAN CITY  – The local government of Kabacan in Cotabato province is coming up with regulations preventing minors and school children from swimming along river dams.

Kabacan Mayor Evangeline Guzman said she will convene the local school board, which she chairs, to devise policies that will keep prevent minors swimming along river dams on their own and without their parents cosent.

This after two junior high school students have drowned while swimming on a river dam Thursday in Barangay Kilada, Matalam, Cotabato province.

Seven other students survived and rescued, according to Mark Osoteo, information officer of Kabacan local government.

Osoteo refused to name the fallen children as requested by immediate families, describing them only as 16 years old male students of a local public school.

He said two of the teenagers are in stable condition but remained in a hospital in Kabacan. Five others are safe.

“All are residents of the Kabacan who went to the Kabacan river during lunch break Thursday,” Osoteo said.

While the nine teenage students were swimming on a waist level river about 200 meters from the floodgate. They were surprised on the sudden surge of water coming through the spillway.

“They did not expect the strong exit of water pressure cascading down stream and they were carried away,” Osoteo said in a radio interview.

It was unclear what triggered the water surge or how the floodgate was opened since there was no heavy downpour at the time of the incident.

Mayor Guzman said the families of two fatalities have been given financial assistance by the local government while the municipal social welfare office is extending aid to families of other victims.

Below are images during rescue efforts courtesy of Unlad Kabacan and Wendel Commision.