Foreign experts to help recover bodies in Semirara

MANILA, Philippines - Two foreign experts arrived yesterday in Caluya, Semirara Island in Antique to assist officials of the Semirara Coal and Mining Corp. in the recovery of the bodies of workers trapped in a mining pit during a landslide last Feb. 14.

The foreigners, an American guest instructor and an Australian volunteer, arrived with Broderick Train, officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC), to check on the incident command activation, according to Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., Western Visayas police director.

Cruz said K-9 dogs have marked two areas believed to be where the missing miners were trapped.

“Retrieval operations using backhoes and bulldozers are still on going for the five still missing workers. Five K-9 units are already at Panian pit to assist in locating the victims,” he said.

The bodies of five other victims were recovered shortly after the landslide. Three other workers were rescued and are now at the hospital undergoing treatment.

Cruz said the foreigners would coordinate with other government agencies in the area, while two personnel from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are tasked to conduct an investigation on the incident.

He said Semirara Mayor Genevive Lim-Reyes announced that she would give financial assistance worth P20,000, while the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council would also give P10,000 to affected families.

Police said a mass was held in the area for the safe recovery of the missing workers.

Authorities established a command post on Saturday morning at the barangay hall of Semirara, manned by police personnel led by Senior Police Officer 1 Arturo Diorda, who was assigned to coordinate with the local government of Semirara.

Cruz said Train would take over as incident manager once he arrives at the site.

PNP Caluya and the provincial disaster management council are in the process of gathering information to come up with a comprehensive report on the incident.

Meanwhile, organized labor yesterday called on the government to look for alternative and safer sources of energy instead of using coal in power generation.

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said that the use of coal put the lives of mining workers in danger. – With Mayen Jaymalin