Rescued miners reach to 13 as search ends and retrieval operation starts

Rescued miners reach to 13 as search ends and retrieval operation starts

Rescued miners reach to 13 as search ends and retrieval operation starts

By Ben O. Tesiorna

 

PANTUKAN, Compostela Valley -- The number of rescued miners in the Good Friday landslide that struck a mining area here has risen to 13 as of Saturday afternoon.

 

Major Jake Obligado, commander of the 10th CMO Battalion, said the figure of those rescued was as of 1:30 pm Saturday.

 

Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, meanwhile said that if there will be no survivor to be found later in the day, their search and rescue will then be shifted to retrieval operation.

 

As of 3 pm Saturday, no survivor was recovered by the rescuers who are now using sniffing dogs and heavy equipments for the search and rescue.

 

Those confirmed missing were Bernard Celestial, Bobit Celestial, Cristitoto  Torrejos Sr., Cristitoto Torrejos Jr., Dennis, Andy Lapates, Junel Lapates, Vincent Lapates, Jerico, Alvin Canincoy, Noe Canincoy, Bitoy, Jongjong, Junjun, Erning, Jay Omega, Roberto Ynay, Marjun Guilabtan, Brendo Dani, Relieto Tabay, and Marvin Anglai.

 

It was learned that most of those missing are from Tagum City, Bukidnon, Davao City, Igacos, and Panabo City.

 

The 13rescued are meanwhile identified as Lambert Detros, Zeffrey Tunday, Rico Clase, Jerry Costal, Erwin Galorio, Mike Saret, Rebecca Recaplaza, Jonathan Bilan, Joel Lapates, Jessie Bilan, Bellmar Dawa, Jay Siladis and Jimmy Siladis.

 

Major Obligado said most of those rescued have been buried waist-deep or were lucky enough to have been unearthed immediately.

 

The confirmed dead meanwhile remain pegged at one -- 15 year old Junrex Torejos.

 

RETRIEVAL OPERATION

 

Provincial Board Member Moran Takasan meanwhile confirmed that the operation is now retrieval and no longer search and rescue.

 

He said that at the rate the excavation is ongoing, it will take about a month before the more than 156,000 metric ton of soil and debris would be cleared.

 

Takasan meanwhile revealed that most of the 200 rescuers now working at the area are small-scale miners.

 

He said the miners only use shovels and even their hands in the excavation.

 

MORATORIUM

 

Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy meanwhile said that he will soon impose a 30-day moratorium on all small-scale mining operations in the entire province.

 

Uy said he will task the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to identify high-risk areas in all mining areas especially in Pantukan so that they could relocate all those who live in the identified risk areas.

 

The governor said they will pattern all of the mining areas in their province after their Pamintaran model area in Maragusan town.

 

It was learned that after the landslide that struck Pamintaran more than a year ago, authorities have properly segregated the mining area from the mining site, processing site and housing.

 

Gov. Uy said if the Pamintaran model will be emulated in all mining areas, then any disaster would not cause as many deaths like what happened in Pantukan on Friday.

 

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo is scheduled to visit the landslide site Sunday afternoon. BOT

 

 

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

 

9861. Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy explains to the media his plan to impose a 30-day moratorium on all small-scale mining activities in the province. Gov. Uy said he wants proper delineation of the mining area and the commercial and residential areas in mining sites so as to avoid more deaths from landslides in mining sites. Compostela Valley has one of the most number of mining sites in the country.

9951. Going up by land to the mining site is a challenge. With the rocky, muddy and slippery road one would have to hold well to the motorcycle lest be thrown away.

9979. Relatives and co-workers of the 21 missing persons continue to search for their loved ones as time is slowly running out for the victims to be saved. Some of the rescuers opted to use their bare hands in search of the bodies of the missing persons hoping that they are still alive despite being buried under 156,000 metric tons of soil and debris.

9932 and 9926. The view of one of the mining sites in Pantukan from a helicopter showing the destruction brought about by the unregulated small-scale mining activity in the area. This mining site is just few kilometers away from the landslide area that left one dead and 21 still missing.

9974. One of the many houses in the Pantukan mining site that dangerously hangs by the cliff.

9994. A young miner pans for gold.

9997. This small hole is the entrance to one of the hundreds of tunnels in Pantukan mining area. The small entrance is just enough to accommodate a small body thus most of those who enter the tunnel are either petite or young people.