BREAKING: 27-yr old devotee declared dead at 11:40am when seizure occurred. Doctors conducted CPR and defibrillation pic.twitter.com/Apxr947k1Q

— Philippine Red Cross (@philredcross) January 9, 2016

MANILA (UPDATED) - A 27-year-old man died shortly after joining the procession of the Black Nazarene in Manila Saturday, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) confirmed.

PRC Secretary Gwendolyn Pang said the victim suffered seizure while resting.

"Sumama po siya sa pagpasan, pagbuhat at nagprusisyon. Namamahinga na po siya and doon po siya inatake," she said.

Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno identified the victim as Alex Fulledo, a resident of Blumentritt.

The victim was already unconscious and without a pulse when doctors reached him, according to Pang. They tried but failed to revive him.

The devotees's companion told doctors that he was suffering from kidney disease. Doctors could not yet confirm if this triggered the seizure.

PANOORIN: 27-anyos na lalaking deboto ng Nazareno, patay matapos mag-seizure kanina | via @JohnsonDZMM #Nazareno2016 pic.twitter.com/yBz7LW1FRB

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) January 9, 2016

Many Filipinos believe that the Black Nazarene holds miraculous healing powers, and make lifetime vows to join the annual parade of the ebony statue.

Philippine Catholics in search of miracles join huge parade

Earlier today, another man died before the start of the annual parade of the centuries-old image of Jesus Christ. The victim suffered heart attack after attending early morning Mass at the Quiapo Church.

The PRC said as of 3:30 p.m., it has given medical aid to some 900 devotees.

Last year, two devotees died during the traslacion while scores of other individuals were also injured.

Meanwhile, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno praised the generally peaceful conduct of the Black Nazarene procession this year.

He said he expects the procession, which is moving along faster, to end before midnight tonight.

"Ang estimate namin baka by 10 p.m. ang Poong Nazareno baka nakabalik na. Hopefully earlier or not later than 12 midnight," he told ANC.

Moreno said a number of roads including Roxas Boulevard, Finance Avenue and Lawton have been reopened after the carriage passed the area.

Several truckloads of trash, meanwhile, have been collected along the procession route. -- Report from Johnson Manabat, dzMM