SAN JOSE, Antique, July 19 (PNA) -– The number of casualties in last Friday’s landslide of the Panian Pit of Semirara Coal Mine has increased to six with the retrieval of the body of Generoso Talaro at around Saturday noon.
The other casualties were Ricaredo Panes, Arnold Omac, Alexander Nodo, Dexter Daopan and Jack Mandrique, all heavy equipment operators. Still missing are Danilo Bayhon, Ian Catulay and Noel Penola.
The bodies of Nodo, Panes and Omac were first recovered Friday morning while that of Daopan was found at around 9:30 p.m. Mandrique’s body was retrieved early morning of Saturday.
Retrieval operations are still ongoing with the hope of finding the other heavy equipment operators who were buried by the landslide along with their heavy equipment.
Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao hopes the bodies of the missing workers are found soon.
“I condole with the family of the victims and let us pray that the bodies of Danilo Bayhon, Ian Catulay and Noel Penola are found immediately so the family could bury them properly. I was assured by DMCI that they will pursue with the retrieval operations,” Cadiao said.
The governor called for an emergency meeting with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) on Sunday afternoon at the Sumakwel Hall to hear the report of Antique Provincial Police Office Provincial Director Edgardo Ordaniel and PDRRMC officer Broderick Train who went to Semirara Island Saturday morning.
“We hope to get a better picture of the incident which killed as confirmed six miners already. The report of PD Ordaniel and Mr. Train will be among our guides on what to do with regards the coal mining operations at Semirara Island,” Cadiao said.
The governor earlier stressed she will order a thorough investigation of the collapse of the wall of Panian Pit.
Five miners survived the landslide. They are Brendo Tuarez, Nelson Villamor Sr., Patrick Morgado, Renan Entible and Ricardo Cabrera. They are presently confined at the company-owned SMPC Infirmary Hospital in the island.
Mayor Genevive Lim-Reyes of the municipality of Caluya extended all necessary support to the families of the casualties in the landslide and has ordered the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office to attend to the needs as well as conduct a debriefing to the immediate members of the families of the victims, including the survivors. (PNA)