Quezon Gov. Angelina Tan has expressed grief over the tragic death of a family of five whose hut was crushed by a fallen tree at the height of Tropical Storm Ramil.
‘We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the five individuals who lost their lives in the town of Pitogo this morning,’ Tan said in Tagalog in a post on her Facebook page.
She said local authorities have already reached out ‘to the bereaved family to provide immediate assistance and support during this time of grief.’
Five members of a family, including a baby boy, were killed by a falling ‘buri’ palm tree in Pitogo, Quezon province, as Ramil battered the province early Sunday, October 19.
Police spot report said the victims – ‘Alberto,’ 66; ‘Jean Andrea,’ 35; ‘Alvin,’ 35; ‘Nazareth,’ 11; and baby boy ‘Noeh’ whose exact age was not given – were sleeping inside their nipa hut in Barangay Cawayanin at around 5:30 a.m. when the palm tree fell into their hut.
Jean Adrea, the daughter of Alberto, was married to Alvin while Nazareth and Noeh were their children, the report said.
The victims died on the spot from fatal injuries due to the strong impact of the falling tree.
Police described the palm tree as ‘burned’ but did not provide further details.
But according to information from residents in the locality, the tree has long been burned from the bottom to uproot it.
Pitogo is under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1