THE families of the three Filipino fatalities in the Taiwan bridge collapse will receive financial assistance of at least P1.5 million each courtesy of the various government offices in the Philippines and Taiwan.
The benefits from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) include P200,000 in accident benefits, P20,000 in burial assistance and $15,000 accidental death benefit or the equivalent of P750,000 pesos from the mandatory insurance paid by the agency/employer, according to recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani.
The authorities earlier named the victims as Abregana Serencio, George Jagmis Impang and Romulo Ilustrisimo Escalicas Jr.
Taiwan’s government, meanwhile, will provide NT$300,000 (P510,000.00) to each victim while the amount coming from the group insurance of the company still has to be determined.
“Overall, some P1.5 million will be received by the next-of-kin of the three fishermen who drowned in their fishing boat that was under the bridge while refueling and resting in their bunks when the bridge suddenly collapsed on them,” Geslani said.
A videotape of the event taken by Taiwan’s Military News Agency dramatically shows the 140-meter long single-arch bridge tumbling down onto at least three fishing boats as a petrol tanker that was crossing also plunged into the water in Nanfangao, on Taiwan’s east coast.
The Ministry of the Interior’s National Fire Agency had initially said that the oil tanker that passed the bridge on Tuesday had caused the collapse, with the truck falling onto the fishing boats underneath.
The steel arch supporting the bridge from above remains intact, but frayed steel strands or “hangers” could also be seen from the video.
Four of the survivors have been released from hospital after being treated for minor injuries; the fifth survivor remained in hospital with fractures.
The Department of Labor and Employment identified the survivors as: Julio S. Gimawa, Jason N. Villaruel, Allan H. Alcansano, John Vicente Royo and June B. Flores.
Image credits: Taiwan's Military News Agency via AP