Two men were found dead inside a water tank measuring about 10 to 12 feet deep in San Juan, Batangas on Saturday afternoon.
They were identified as 47-year-old pastor Joel Ramos and his godson Jose Almarez, 43 years old. They entered the tank located in Barangay (Village) Barualte at around 8am on Saturday to clean and paint its inside, ABS-CBN News reported.
They were discovered at around 4:35pm when people on the ground outside noticed that no one was moving inside the water tank anymore, according to Diaryo Bomba.
Village Chairman Ruban Dala said he was not aware that the two men would be doing the cleanup.
The police are still waiting for the post-mortem examination results to confirm what caused the victims’ deaths but according to the initial investigation, it is possible that the two died from suffocation.
According to P/Maj. Richard de Guzman, the chemicals the two men used to get rid of the water tank’s rust was strong. They were also reportedly not wearing face masks and the tank only had a small opening where air could come in and out.
A village councilor reportedly tried to save the two but the chemicals’ smell was too strong when he peeked inside the tank. The victims’ bodies were only recovered after the authorities decided to create a hole on it.
The tank, which was meant to supply water to more than 100 houses, is still unusable.
Read more Coconuts Manila articles here.
Reader Interactions