Two school children drown in Iloilo town

CEBU, Philippines – Two grade schoolers drowned in a river in Lambunao town of Iloilo, Monday noon.

The victims were identified as Ahron John Carona, 11, of Barangay Pandan in Lambunao, and Leo Rey Estabillo, 11, of Barangay Cubay, also of the same town.

The two, Grade 5 pupils of Pandan Elementary School, were declared dead on arrival at the Don Ricardo Ladrido Memorial Hospital in Lambunao.

Inspector Felix Alianza, Jr., Lambunao Police chief, said the two children, together with another classmate, after taking their lunch went to quarry area at the center of Ulian River.

While playing, the two victims stepped on an area of loose sands and fell into the deep portion of the river. Their classmate immediately asked for help from the residents nearby.

Some villagers immediately responded to rescue the two, but it took them an hour to find later the bodies of the boys 10 feet downstream.