A 10-year-old boy died after being crushed by a buli or palm tree that fell on their house in barangay Cubacub, Mandaue City, around 6 p.m. last Friday. Heavy rain and winds caused by typhoon Sendong caused the tree to fall.
Antonio Cortes Jr., the child, was injured in his stomach and back and was immediately taken by neighbors to the Mandaue City Hospital, but he was dead on arrival.
At the time of the incident, Antonio was cleaning their house, while his four siblings were in a room, watching over their six-month-old baby. When the tree fell, it swept away the baby's cradle, but luckily, he was unharmed.
Their father works in a factory in Lilo-an, while their mother was with their five-year-old sibling and was taken to the clinic for a check-up. The incident occurred while their parents were not at home.
With the help of neighbors, the children were rescued and temporarily taken to the house by one of them. ACERT and police cut down the tree to find Antonio's body.
