ANGELES CITY – Three sections of the slope protection of a dike controlling the flow of Mt. Pinatubo’s lahar on Abacan River here have slid down on Wednesday morning.

A resident in Barangay (village) Ninoy Aquino where the dike is situated described the damaged portions as having “fallen down like a curtain.”

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Arnold Ocampo, assistant district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Pampanga Third District Engineering Office, said the damage was caused by quarrying on the Mexico town side of Abacan, making the river bed fall by three meters.

The damaged sections spanned 50 meters, 60 meters, and 80 meters, all on the side of Barangay Ninoy Aquino, Ocampo said.

No families were directly in harm’s way, he said.

Ocampo noted that the DPWH began doing remedial measures on Wednesday. A bulldozer machine was also sent to temporarily rechannel the water away from the damaged portions.

Because the structure was completed and accepted in 2016, he said the DPWH would need to reinforce it at a cost of about P20 million.

Rivers in Pampanga are quarried for sand needed by the construction sector.

The local governments are checking if operators have permits to quarry on Abacan River./lzb

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