Construction work inside the compound of Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu) Inc. in barangay Buanoy, Balamban town was temporarily halted pending the result of an investigation into an accident that killed four workers and injured six others
In an interview with The Freeman, Tsuneishi environment manager Leo Salubre said the company is now waiting for the final report of Metaphil International, which is expected to be out within this week to determine why the structure collapsed.
Last Saturday afternoon, four workers were killed and five others injured after a steel truss of a building they were erecting in a warehouse structure collapsed and plummeted 18 feet, taking them down with it.
The building expansion was still under the supervision of the Metaphil and had yet to be turned over to Tsuneishi, said Salubre.
“Yes, the construction work here is temporarily suspended until such time the Metaphil will submit their final report to us and to the police,” Salubre said, as he reiterated that it is not THE responsibility of Tsuneishi, and that the victims were workers of Metaphil.
Declared dead on arrival at the Balamban District Hospital were Israel Torcullas, 39; Celedonio de Vera, 46; Romeo Dindin and Arthur Subingbing, 46.
Five of the injured were identified as Francisco Imedio, 26; Narciso Ruiz, 32; Gerome Tuline, 25; Danilo Capangpangan, 42 and Ruel Arcillias. They were taken to a hospital in Cebu City after suffering head fractures.
Salubre also added that the families of the victims are not mulling to file a case against the company because they are properly taken care of.
PO2 Hannibal Larida of the Balamban police also said that no relatives or family of the victims came over to the police station to complain about the incident.
The accident was the first in the site since 1994 when Tsuneishi broke ground and started its shipbuilding operations, said Salubre. The first ship built by Tsuneishi was the Sea Amelita in 1997 during the time of then president Fidel Ramos, he said.
Metaphil is a company specializing in industrial facility installation and steel fabrication works. — Garry B. Lao/BRP