PGH: 2 dead, 15 hurt in Nazarene procession

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) said yesterday two male devotees of the Black Nazarene died while 15 others sustained injuries in last Monday’s feast of Quiapo’s patron saint.

Dr. Michael Tee, PGH assistant director for public affairs, said relatives of the two fatalities, identified them as Reynante Martinez and Ricardo Escobido.

Martinez was the devotee who was trampled to death on Carlos Palanca street in Quiapo, Manila after he fell into a manhole that had been covered only by wooden planks.

Other devotees tripped and landed over him. Martinez was pronounced dead on arrival at the PGH.

The second fatality was brought to the PGH at around 9 p.m. last Monday.

"When he arrived his heart rate was already zero so we tried to revive him at the emergency room. At first, it appeared that there was hope for him, but he died at 7 a.m. yesterday."

Tee said Escobido died of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or the lack of oxygen in the brain. He had several bruises in the body.

The remains of Martinez was claimed by his family while the body of Escobido, as of press time, was still at the hospital morgue.

"He has already been identified so we are expecting that his body will be claimed soon," Tee said.

The PGH said there were 15 others who were taken to the hospital for various injuries suffered during the Black Nazarene procession.

Four suffered from high blood and hypertension while 11 suffered bruises as devotees jockeyed for position at Plaza Miranda for the annual procession.

"All of them have been discharged from the hospital, except for one, who by choice, decided to be confined at the PGH," Tee said.

Among those injured was 49-year-old Alfredo Valencia, of Navotas.

He reportedly drank four bottles of beer before proceeding to Quiapo to attend the Black Nazarene procession. Already tipsy, the man lost his balance and got trampled on at around 2:45 p.m.

Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, commander of Manila Police District Station 3, said the celebration reached its peak at 4 p.m. when the crowd swelled to some 600,000.

There were 250 policemen who secured the area.