Tarlac Bridge Collapse Rescuers Recover Second Body in Pangasinan

Recovery efforts along river channels following a catastrophic infrastructure failure in central Luzon have located a second passenger. The body of Shanen Tuhao was recovered in a river in Barangay San Vicente on Tuesday afternoon, September 1, roughly three days after an accident in Barangay Tibag, Tarlac City.

The incident began at approximately 8:32 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, when a Toyota Avanza carrying five passengers plunged into the river as heavy rains from the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) battered the province. While emergency response teams, including the Philippine Air Force, successfully rescued passenger Nathaniel Dizon shortly after the incident, four other occupants remained missing as floodwaters surged.

Recovery Timeline and Pangasinan River Discoveries

The search radius for the vehicle’s occupants extended downstream into neighboring Pangasinan province as strong river currents carried victims far from the disaster site in Tarlac City. Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap confirmed that the remains of Shanen Tuhao were found at around 4 p.m. on September 1 in Bayambang, Pangasinan.

That recovery followed the discovery of the first victim, James Patrick Taborlupa, whose body was found on Monday, August 31, in Barangay Carael, Pangasinan. Authorities continue to search for the remaining two missing passengers, Shiela Mae Taborlupa and Harvey Paul Collado. Meanwhile, recovery crews recovered the wrecked Toyota Avanza on Tuesday afternoon using heavy equipment to lift the vehicle from a river near Ninoy Aquino Boulevard in Tarlac City.

Back-to-Back Bridge Failures and Isolation

The Agana Bridge collapse occurred just a day after a portion of the Aquino Bridge gave way amid continuous rains and strong river currents on Friday, August 28. Tarlac Gov. Christian Yap noted that both collapsed structures were old, while DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon explained that debris-laden river currents washed away a central concrete pier on the Aquino Bridge, causing a major segment to plunge into the riverbed.

Body Recovered, 3 Others Still Missing Following Agana Bridge Collapse In Tarlac — Photo: Onenews

With both primary crossings compromised within a span of roughly 20 hours, Tarlac City was temporarily cut off from direct access to western communities like Barangay Tibag and San Isidro. The sudden loss of infrastructure triggered panic buying in parts of Tarlac City, as residents rushed to grocery stores to stockpile canned goods and meat over fears of supply shortages and price spikes. Ignacia reaching nearly 22 kilometers, while pedestrians and light vehicles utilized the Tagumbao Bridge in Gerona.

Government Response and Nationwide Safety Directives

Following directives from President Marcos to speed up restoration work, Department of Public Works and Highways personnel started repairs on both structures. Secretary Dizon dispatched engineers from Metro Manila to construct a temporary steel bridge reconnecting the Aquino Bridge for light vehicles and ordered immediate temporary repairs on the Agana Bridge.

Tarlac Bridge Collapse Rescuers Recover Second Body in Pangasinan — Photo: The Manila Times

In response to the cascading infrastructure failures, Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered local police units to tighten coordination with local authorities and secure vulnerable roads and bridges. Nartatez directed Tarlac City police to maintain security and crowd control around the collapsed bridge sites while search operations for the remaining two missing passengers persist.