2 Nazareno devotees die at sidelines of procession

MANILA, Philippines (8th UPDATE) – Two devotees died at the sidelines of the Black Nazarene procession in Manila on Saturday, January 9, authorities said.

A 27-year-old man later identified as Alex Fulyedo died after joining the annual Traslacion, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said.

PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said in an interview on radio dzBB that according to the devotee’s companions, the man was taking a break after he joined the procession when he suffered a “seizure” and lost consciousness.

He could no longer be revived by PRC responders, Pang said. He died at 11:40 am. He was a resident of Sampaloc, Manila.

An update from Quiapo Church as of 6:00 pm identified the man as Alex Fulyedo, a devotee for 6 years, who was brought to the Ospital ng Maynila where he was officially declared dead at 12:44 pm.

He collapsed at 11:30 am. His companion flagged an ambulance passing under the LRT-SM Manila station and responders tried to revive him. Hospital authorities said the cause of death is “sudden cardiac arrest.”

A report from dzRH said that Fulyedo’s father, Vicente, went to the hospital to get his son’s remains. The devotee, who reportedly suffered from a liver ailment, left behind a wife and two children.

The other death is 58-year-old devotee Mauro Arabit, who suffered a heart attack while standing against a wall in Evangelista St in Quiapo at around 2 pm on Saturday, the National Capital Region Police Office said.

Arabit, a candle vendor, was rushed by a Department of Health ambulance to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center but he was declared dead on arrival.

The PRC said that as of 9:00 pm, it had assisted 1,295 patients participating in the procession and had checked 684 people for blood pressure monitoring. Minor cases (wounds, abrasions, dizziness, bruises) numbered 518, while major cases (difficulty breathing, fainting, hyperventilation, falls) numbered 46.

Authorities said there were an estimated 1.5 million people in the procession as of 10 am, a number expected to swell further throughout the day. 

Estimated arrival

As of 1:30 am, Sunday, January 10, the front of the procession with the Black Nazarene had reached Villalobos Street. Earlier at 10:50 pm, the traditional “Dungaw” of mother and child had already started.

As of 1:00 am, too, in and outside the Quiapo Church, there was an estimated crowd of 500,000, smaller than the crowd about an hour ago. People joining the procession between 12 am and 1 am were estimated at 502,000, a Quiapo Church update said. 

According to the Church’s 1:00 am update, the procession is expected to arrive at Quiapo Church at around 1:52 am on Sunday, January 10, much earlier than the previously projected 4:15 am – if the procession continues moving at a faster rate of 503.5 meters per hour. 

Also by 1 am, devotees had traveled 6.68 kilometers.

The procession began from the Quirino Grandstand and will return to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as the Quiapo Church.

Every year, millions of people flock to Manila on January 9 to join the procession to show their devotion to the Black Nazarene. (READ: Filipinos’ deep devotion showcased at Nazareno procession) 

Last year, one devotee died of a heart attack during the procession. – Rappler.com