2 siblings drown in a pond in Lamitan City
COTABATO CITY – Two school girls drowned Saturday in a small pond in Lamitan City, Basilan that they thought was shallow, where they can play and bathe.
In a report to the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region here, the Lamitan City Police Office said the nine-year-old Trisha Lozano Magno and her seven-year-old sister, Tiffany, were found dead in the pond in Sitio Panansangan in Barangay Ubit in Lamitan City, Basilan.
The pond, surrounded by elevated rolling grounds with trees and tall grasses, is a catch basin for rainwater that falls around.
The two girls reportedly left their house in Sitio Panansangan on Saturday morning and were overheard talking about going to a pond in a secluded spot in Sitio Panansangan.
They were found both dead about six hours after they were last seen proceeding towards the location of the pond.
Reports reaching the headquarters of PRO-BAR here stated that barangay officials are certain the water level in the pond swelled following heavy rains in the surroundings two days prior to the incident.