An 11-year-old Filipino boy has miraculously survived a deadly landslide that swept through his village in the wake of tropical storm Megi – by hiding in a refrigerator for 20 hours.
During a rescue operation in Barangay Kantagnos, Philippines, the authorities found little CJ Hasme lying in a refrigerator, reported Philippines television and radio network GMA Network.
The boy suffered multiple fractures but is currently recuperating in the hospital.
Hasme’s uncle Juanito Orellano said: “When his uncle (another relative) was supposed to rescue him, he (Hasme) sent him away because a big landslide was coming, and it was very dangerous.”
As the landslide approached, Hasme quickly got into the refrigerator where he spent the next 20 hours protecting himself from the storm, reported Indian media news outlet NDTV.com.
On Tuesday (April 18), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) uploaded a video of the incident on Facebook.
It wrote that the PCG, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office went to the aid of this landslide victim.
In the two-minute clip, rescuers are seen transporting the beat-up fridge, with Hasme lying inside, onto a boat.
Netizens praised the rescuers for their valiant efforts, with one Facebook user calling them “highly commendable soldiers”.
Another user wrote: “Good job and snappy salute to all. Keep safe and take care always. God bless.”
According to GMA Network, both Hasme’s parents were killed and buried in the landslide.
“We try not to let CJ know because it might affect his health, but maybe he knows because at his age, he seems to understand,” said Orellano. “It’s different, sometimes he shouts due to [the] shock.”
The death toll from the tropical storm Megi has since risen to 224, reported The Manila Times.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
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