Glorietta death toll rises to 9

NUMBER 9. Norlita Tan is comforted in her grief by a Philippine National Red Cross member and Senator Richard Gordon (head of the Red Cross) after her husband Reinier Tan's body was finally discovered early Saturday morning underneath the rubble of the Glorietta 2 Mall in Makati after an explosion killed nine people. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/RAFFY LERMA

INQUIRER.net
Last updated 02:40am (Mla time) 10/20/2007


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Hours before the discovery of the body of Rainier Tan at about 11 p.m. Friday, Norlita Tan said she and her husband had parted ways on the ground floor of the mall.

"I had to check out something on the second floor after having lunch with him. My spouse agreed and told me he would just have coffee. When the explosion happened, I was trying to reach him on the cellular phone and all he could say was he was looking for a way out. The line was cut. I tried to call him but there was only ringing on the other end," she said.

She wept at the sight of her husband’s remains being carried out of the rubble by Red Cross rescuers. She was comforted by Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of Philippine National Red Cross.

Gordon said four other persons remain missing, based on inquiries from people still looking for their relatives as of early Saturday morning. He said Red Cross volunteers would continue search and rescue work until the missing persons were accounted for. Among those still missing are Len-Len Tan, Carolina Sibug, and Jay Arguelles.

Blast death toll rises to 9
By LEONARD D. POSTRADO & JOEL C. ATENCIO
Manila Bulletin 21/10/2007