PULILAN, Bulacan—A teenager and his two younger cousins were killed after they were struck by lightning under a mango tree while playing in the rains in a yard in this town on Tuesday.
Pulilan police chief Col. Jerome Jay Ragonton identified them as Rexter Enriquez, 16; April Almorade,11 and Roxane Enriquez, 12, all of Sitio Tangos, Barangay Inaon.
Ragonton said they were hit by lightning at about 3:00 pm.
With five other cousins, the victims were playing in the rain in a mango trees yard just ten meters away from their houses in Sitio Tangos, Barangay Inaon. The five cousins led by KC Dela Cruz, 15, were standing three meters away from a mango tree and were planning to go home. The three victims however stayed awhile under the mango tree.
Suddenly, the lightning jolted the mango tree and struck the victims. Dela Cruz said they were then shocked to see their cousins lying on the ground.
Dela Cruz who said they also felt the electric current in their bodies, with her four other cousins then rushed home and break the fateful incident to their families.
The three victims were immediately brought to Magdalena Reyes Hoapital in Poblacion where they were pronounced dead by the attending physician.
Babylyn Ayers, a barangay and municipal woman leader told NEWS CORE on Thursday, that the lightning first hit a huge gecko on top of the middle portion of the mango tree before it struck the three victims. A glaring light was seen ematnating from the top middle portion of the tree.
Aileen Enriquez, 46, mother of Roxane, remains in shock over the death of her daughter. She said, Roxane only played with the rains with her cousins to wash her foot.
Roxane has just graduated from elementary in Inaon elementary school on May 30.
Rexter has just took an afternoon nap with his father Roberto 44 at past 1 p.m. When he woke up at about 2:40 p.m. and heard the strong rains, he told his father that he will run outside to shower in the rains.
Rexter, who stopped studying in high school two years ago was the one helping his father in the farm, Roberto, a fisherman said.
Widespread strong rains were experienced in Bulacan, Metro Manila and many parts of the country on Tuesday which Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said was triggered by the southwest monsoon or “habagat”.
The rains which lasted for more than two hours was the first strong downpour in months since the rainy season last year.
