Stampede for rice kills 8 in Leyte

MANILA, Philippines - Thousands of desperate residents stormed a warehouse of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Alangalang, Leyte on Tuesday, resulting in the death of eight people when a wall collapsed during the stampede.

NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said the eight were crushed when the wall collapsed on them as looters raided the rice in Alangalang town, 17 kilometers from Leyte’s capital Tacloban City.

He said the looters carted away more than 100,000 sacks of rice and palay.

Estoperez yesterday said the warehouse staff and the police guarding the warehouse could not stop the crowd that took away 33,000 50-kilo bags of rice and 96,000 50-kilo bags of palay.

“The wall did not give in because of the typhoon but because of the piles of rice and palay that fell when the looting took place,” he said in a phone interview. “When the staff is confronted with a crowd like that, it is impossible to control.”

Police, soldiers and private security guards were guarding the warehouse in Alangalang but they were overpowered by the crowd, Estoperez added.

“There must have been so many people to carry away so many bags of rice,” he said.

“Our staff were there but they could not do anything without risking their safety,” he added.

Estoperez said his agency believed looters were looking to profit by selling the grain.

“Some people are really hungry but others just wanted to ransack for money,” he said, adding that the NFA was coordinating with the transport department and military to ensure that ships and trucks carrying rice would be properly guarded.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the department requested the military to guard NFA warehouses in the region while distribution of rice to local government units continues.

He said the incident created fear among staffers in other NFA warehouses. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Kathleen Martin, Edith Regalado, Lalaine Jimenea, AP