100 tunnels shut down in Compostela gold-rush site

DAVAO CITY ,Philippines  – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has shut down at least 100 tunnels in identified landslide-prone areas at the gold-rush site in Pantukan, Compostela Valley.

The closure of the tunnels came on the heels of the Jan. 5 landslide that claimed 32 lives with 40 others still missing, in Purok Diat Uno and Purok Diat Dos in Barangay Napnapan, Pantukan town.

Dr. Arnulfo Lantaya, spokesman of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council, said the closure was carried out by MGB personnel and the municipal government with the help of policemen and soldiers deployed in the area.

“But there were a few small tunnels that we were not able to close because there were no doors and there were also no people operating inside them. The big ones were the ones that we were able to padlock,” Lantaya said.

At least 50 houses were also demolished since the “no-habitation” policy was fully enforced one week after the landslide.

Search and retrieval operation at the landslide site was stopped one week after the incident due to continuous rains.

Last week, small landslides were detected in Purok Diat Uno and Purok Diat Dos following incessant rains over the region due to the intertropical convergence zone.