5 dead, 5 missing in Semirara mine site landslide

MANILA, Philippines - Five miners were buried alive while five remained missing in a landslide that occurred at a coal mine in Antique province shortly before midnight Wednesday.

The fatalities were identified as Abner Lim, Efren Equiza, Anthony Siblet, Georgie Bragat and Joven Hocate. Their bodies were retrieved from the Panian open-pit mine located in Semirara Island, Caluya town.

Antique police director Chief Superintendent Marloe Marfil said the bodies of Lim, Equiza and Siblet were retrieved yesterday morning, while Hocate and Bragat were found in the afternoon.

Marfil said the names of the victims were released to the police by Rogelio Duro, chief security officer of the Semirara Coal and Mining Corp. (SCMC), a company owned by David M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI).

He said the victims were among the 13 miners trapped in the 30-hectare mine that supplies coal not only to the country but also to India and China.

In a report submitted to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), town official Loreto Pon-an III said boulders and soil trapped miners in a pit about 260 meters below ground.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Eduardo del Rosario said three miners – Marjun Catoto, Adrian Celmar and Leonardo Sojor – have been rescued.

Two of them were brought to the Semirara Infirmary for treatment while the other who sustained severe injuries was airlifted to Metro Manila.

NDRRMC spokesman Maj. Ray Balido said search and rescue operations were ongoing as of press time for the five missing miners, identified as Jan Riel Planca, Randy Tamparong, Richard Padernilla, Junjie Gomez, and their foreman Leovigildo Porras.

In a statement issued yesterday, Panian coal mine resident manager George San Pedro confirmed that of the 13 trapped miners, five have died, five remained missing and three have been rescued.

San Pedro said the west wall of the Panian pit gave way at 11:55 p.m. Wednesday. He said the management was in the process of determining the cause of the accident in coordination with proper authorities, and that mining operations have been stopped to ensure the safety of all its personnel.

 He gave assurance that the company would extend full support to the families of the victims.

Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., director of the Western Visayas police, said a portion of the stockpile dug out by the miners gave way and fell into the seam of the mining pit.

“Around 30-40 meters of soil covered the open-pit mine,” Agrimero said.

Loss of life a concern

Meanwhile, President Aquino said Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla is set to visit the mine site today to find out what is being done to rescue the missing miners and to determine the cause of the accident.

The President said his understanding is that Semirara is a strip mine, and he wants to know why there was a tunnel when the operations should only be on the surface.

“Any loss of life is always a concern for me, especially any Filipino life,” Aquino said.

Asked if the incident would justify stricter mining policies as his government laid out in an executive order, he said it would be difficult to answer without hard facts.

“Why did this happen? Obviously, we don’t want this to happen. So everything is being assessed by experts. Is it the lack of implementation of our laws? Are the laws lacking? What can be done so this kind of tragedy will not happen again?” Aquino asked.

“On the other hand, our fellowmen who are depending on mining are saying we should not deprive them of the opportunity to improve their lives by getting these resources. We need to balance the interests of both sides,” he said.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas ordered officials of Antique and Caluya to help in the search and rescue operations. He said he coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAP) to find helicopters that could airlift rescued miners to the nearest hospitals.

Semirara Island, located approximately 280 kilometers south of Manila, is the country’s biggest coal producer. The Panian coalfield is being mined using open-pit methods. – Jennifer Rendon, Czeriza Valencia, Alexis Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Aurea Calica