MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday confirmed that a man died while three others remain missing after several barges and boats were swept away and rammed into a bridge in Pasig City earlier this week.

The deceased was identified as a 48-year-old mechanic who was working on one of the barges, said Lt. Cmdr. Mike Encina, spokesperson of the PCG National Capital Region and Central Luzon.

Encina said the victim’s family has already confirmed his identity.

The deceased was swept some 12 kilometers away from the F. Manalo Bridge in Pasig to the Delpan area in Manila.

“Lahat po ng tubig sa kabundukan, dito dumadaan sa Marikina at Pasig River… Ang Delpan ang bunganga ng Manila Bay kaya ang isa po talagang puntahan lamang ng mga bangkay or cadaver na nalulunod diyan ay sa Delpan,” Encina told ABS-CBN News.

“Nagkakaroon po tayo ng casualty diyan [sa Pasig River] because of the burak. Natratrap po yung mga tao diyan at nagiging dahilan bakit hindi sila nakakaahon,” he said.

Three other workers contracted by the Toyo Construction Company are still missing, the PCG official said.

“Sila ay mga trabahador ng kumpanya. Maraming company ang involve dito kasi chinarter sila ni Toyo Construction… But they are all under Toyo,” he said.

Ongoing investigations showed some 12 vessels were latched in an area near the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Phase 4, but were swept away by raging waters at around 1 p.m. on July 24. 

At around 4 p.m., some of the vessels were seen ramming into the F. Manalo bridge, before being swept further down the river, with some sinking after hitting the Manggahan flood gate. 

Residents said they saw several people jumping off the barges before it rammed into the bridge. 

“After po nila tumalon, ang lakas ng agos. Parang kumuha na lang sila ng panlutang nila… gusto nilang pumunta dito sa pampang pero hindi talaga kaya sa sobrang lakas,” said Adrian Lopez Jr., a resident of Barangay Manggahan. 

“Yung kuya parang hirap na hirap na. Parang gusto sumuko. Ang tigas na ng tiyan, yung ganito, yung buong katawan na,” he told ABS-CBN News. 

While residents were able to rescue some of the barge’s personnel, Lopez said they saw at least 4 people being swept further down the river, before disappearing into the murky waters. 

Eight hours after the ordeal, at around 1 a.m. of July 25, rescuers were able to save a man who was trapped in one of the barges. 

The PCG launched a search and rescue operation on July 25, but the mechanic’s body was only found on July 27. 

“PCG ensured that it was properly latched, secure siya before the onslaught of Typhoon Carina but talagang napakalakas ng ragasa,” Encina said. 

“But we do not discount the possibility na ang kumpaniya o ang mga crew ay may liability dito,” he said, underscoring that investigations are still on going. 

While the PCG is still looking for the three missing workers, the agency has also begun towing away the wrecked vessels around the F. Manalo bridge in Pasig, Encina said. 

“By Wednesday, may mga barges na namove na tayo diyan. Mabilisan po nating ginawa,” he said. 

“We are looking na by Wednesday may improvement na po, may natanggal na, after a week, drastic na yung change diyan,” he said. 

The PCG has mounted a mechanism to ensure that the victim’s family would get the proper compensation and benefits from concerned companies and agencies, Encina said. 

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are still conducting inspections to check the structural integrity of the F. Manalo Bridge, the Manggahan Floodgate, and two other bridges that were affected by the mishap. 

The F. Manalo Bridge has been closed to traffic since July 24 until further notice.