Philippine grid tower under construction collapses in Cavite while crews string lines, injuring seven

The tower came down around midday in Barangay Guyam Malaki, according to Abante Tonite and Bilyonaryo News Channel (BNC). Abante reported that crews were fixing lines to the tower when it fell and its steel members buckled. Seven injured workers were taken to hospital, and no houses were damaged. Residents told BNC they heard loud crashes of metal before sections of steel and cable hit the ground. One witness said part of a nearby tower seemed to fall first, followed by a second structure closer to a property.

Witnesses suspect the steel was substandard and could not carry the load and pull of the cables. Abante stressed that this is unconfirmed. NGCP and Maxipro Development Corp. (MDC) are investigating, and there is no official finding on the cause. Neither company answered BNC's questions about the materials or the collapse.

BNC cited an unnamed person close to the project as saying MDC built the tower. The company drew scrutiny in June, when immigration agents detained its president, who is also its majority owner, over allegations that he posed as a Filipino citizen using documents obtained by fraud. Corporate records reviewed by BNC show he holds 88.8% of MDC. The arrest is an immigration case, and the allegations have not been proven in court. MDC's website lists 17 NGCP projects: 11 finished and six under way.

Still unknown: the line and voltage the tower was meant to carry, the condition of the injured and whether NGCP will review the other MDC towers. Abante reported that NGCP crews were working to repair the damaged tower.