A boat carrying more than 20 children capsized in Barangay Bangcal, Guagua, Pampanga.
According to one of the rescuers, the children were heading home from school around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 23, 2024, when the boat suddenly tilted.
The boat ride is their regular form of transportation and their regular route home from school.
The boatman reportedly lost control of the vessel after the children panicked and rushed to one side of the boat.
“‘Yung mga bata hindi naman makakalangoy, maliliit lang. Gusto ng mga bata na umuwi agad kaya nagpuntahan lahat sa unahan. ‘Yung bangkero, hindi na nakontrol dahil mga bata makukulit,” Dudes Garcia Amisola, one of the rescuers, said.
It remains unclear if anyone will be held accountable for the incident, as it was not reported formally to authorities.
Concerned citizens and boatmen nearby worked quickly together to rescue the students, all from Grades 1 to 4.
The children are all safe. —GMA Regional TV
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