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Falling statue kills toddler in Tondo


MANILA, Philippines — A three-year-old girl in Manila’s Tondo district was killed Saturday morning when a concrete statue of Mother Mary fell on her, police said. Bea Vinoya of 1540 Sta. Maria St, died on the spot due to head and body injuries, according to the Homicide Section of the Manila Police District. Senior Police Officer 2 Richard Lumbad said the incident happened on Nicodemus Street at 8:45 a.m., just a day before the celebration of Sto. Niño feast. The victim’s nanny, Anna Liza Isidro, 18, told police that she and the victim went to Nicodemus Street to buy softdrinks from a mini store. Isidro said she was carrying the five-month-old baby brother, so the girl had to walk beside her while holding on to her skirt. She said she did not immediately notice that the victim was no longer at her side. When she looked back, she saw an image of the Mother Mary on top of the toddler on the street. Police who responded to an alarm said that the 6-foot-tall solid cement image was on top of the victim. Isidro said she shouted for help, but several bystanders ignored her. The residents only ran to help when they saw the three-year-old girl under the image. The statue was under the custody of Ramoncito de Guzman, 56, taxi driver, of 504 Nicodemus St. De Guzman said that every year the image would be brought in front of his house as part of the celebration of their fiesta in Tondo on Jan. 18. The driver said that this was the first time that a tragic accident happened in the celebration of their fiesta in front of their house. Police suspect the girl may have touched something that caused the statue to fall. - GMANews.TV
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