Landslides hit Semirara anew

MANILA, Philippines - Two more landslides hit Semirara last Sunday, at the same spot where five miners were killed and five others remain missing following an avalanche on Feb. 14.

Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., Western Visayas police regional director, said rain and the landslides forced the suspension of retrieval operations for the bodies of the missing workers at the Pani-an pit.

On Sunday, Cruz said foreign experts from the US and Australia arrived on the island to help in the recovery operations.

“Although there’s a slim chance of survival, police are still hopeful the missing miners will still be found alive,” he said.

He said that retrieval operations using backhoes, bulldozers and employing K9 units are ongoing for the five still missing.

Meanwhile, the Consunji-owned Semirara Mining Corp. is reviewing its mining operations in light of the accident.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, the company said that it has tapped a third-party consultant to avoid similar incidents in the future.

“The company is currently reviewing its mine plan with the assistance of a third party consultant to avoid similar incident in the future,” the company said.

The company added that mining operations remain suspended as the company and government authorities continue search and retrieval efforts for the five missing miners.

“To aid in these efforts, sniffing canines have been called in through the Office of the Civil Defense. Further, the company has guaranteed financial, employment, scholarship and livelihood assistance to the families of those involved,” Semirara said, adding that the incident is not expected to have any significant adverse effect on the company’s operations.

“Despite the temporary halt in its mining operations at the Pani-an site, the company continues to service its supply contracts to its customers using its stockpile which can be replenished immediately when operation resumes,” Semirara said.

The energy department, in the meantime, has said that it would conduct a thorough review and assessment of the incident.

Energy Undersecretary Ramon Oca said the department will do the review and make a recommendation on when to allow the reopening of the mine.

“We only suspended the affected area. We will conduct a thorough review,” Oca said.

President Aquino last week ordered the departments of Energy and the Interior and Local Government to investigate the accident.

Semirara Mining, owned by DMCI Holdings Inc. of the Consunji Group, issued a statement on the incident last week, saying that the west wall of its pit collapsed at 11 p.m. on Feb. 13 and trapped at least 13 miners. – Iris Gonzales