Two congressmen, mayor sustain injuries after bridge gives way in Zamboanga

One of the bridges that allegedly collapsed during a House of Representatives’ committee’s inspection of houses intended for Zamboanga siege victims on Thursday, April 26./Rep. Albee Benitez Twitter/

 

(Eagle News) — Two congressmen and the mayor of Zamboanga were injured on Thursday, April 26, after the wooden bridge they were on  while they were inspecting houses intended for the victims of the Zamboanga siege gave way.

Those who sustained minor injuries in the incident were Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chair of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development; Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat; and Mayor Beng Climaco.

In a Facebook post, Climaco said the “wooden foot bridge leading to the houses on stilts in Mariki” was a project by the National Housing Authority and the Department of Public Works and Highways under the Z3R program.

She said an adjacent bridge also collapsed several minutes later.

“Ang kakulangan sa maintenance sa paggawa ng mga tulay at bahay ay napakadelikado para sa mga residente lalo na sa mga bata,” Benitez later said in a tweet.

According to Climaco, she has ordered the “immediate repair of the bridge and asked security forces to ensure order in the area.”