2 injured, hospital loses power as electrical posts collapse on Navotas bridge

Photo Courtesy of Navotas City DRRM Office

Two individuals were injured and a public hospital lost power after two electrical utility posts collapsed along Marala Bridge on Monday night, June 29, 2026, prompting local authorities to immediately seal off the vital boundary linking Navotas City and Manila.

The structural collapse, which occurred a few minutes past 7:00 PM along North Bay Boulevard, triggered immediate blackouts across residential zones and critically disrupted power supply at the nearby Tondo Medical Center in Manila.

Casualties and Immediate Emergency Response

The Navotas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) confirmed that two commuters sustained injuries during the sudden structural collapse. First responders quickly mobilized to the site, providing emergency stabilization to the victims:

One victim was rushed directly to the Tondo Medical Center for immediate treatment.

The second injured individual was transferred to the Philippine Orthopedic Center

A coordinated response team, consisting of the Navotas Police Station, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP-Navotas), and the City Traffic and Parking Management Office, safely contained the perimeter and blocked all vehicle traffic from entering the compromised bridge.

Power Outages Hit Hospital and Homes

The collapse caused a massive infrastructure failure, dropping high-voltage power lines across the thoroughfare. Electricity was abruptly cut off from homes located throughout Navotas City and portions of Balut, Tondo.

Most critically, the Tondo Medical Center was plunged into a sudden blackout, forcing the medical facility to rely on backup power systems. Emergency response engineers from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) were immediately dispatched to the scene to assess the damage. By later that evening, a Meralco engineer reported that the high-voltage incident had been successfully isolated, noting that only one localized transformer required comprehensive technical repair to completely restore power back to the grid.

Traffic Gridlock and Alternate Routes

The local government of Navotas declared Marala Bridge fully impassable to all classes of vehicles as concrete debris and tangled wires obstructed both lanes. Commuters experienced severe delays during the peak evening rush hour.

Motorists traveling between Manila and the northern coastal cities are strictly advised to steer clear of North Bay Boulevard and utilize alternative arterial roads while heavy cleanup and grid restoration operations continue. Local authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine whether underlying structural wear, vehicle impact, or external environmental factors caused the utility posts to give way.