Young life snuffed out in mining accident

Friends and relatives of Melvin Landero observe from a distance the site where the 22-year-old miner was entombed at the coal terminal of Ski Energy Resource Incorporated (Seri) mining site in barangay Dunggo-an mountain barangay of Danao City. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Mamatay na man tingali ko ani, tiyo, naglisud na man ko’g ginhawa,” (I’ll probably end up dead, uncle. I can’t breathe.)

These were the last words heard from 22-year-old miner Melvin Landero before the coal mine shaft in Danao City where he was trapped totally collapsed on him Saturday morning.

Landero’s body which was entombed for over 24 hours was finally retrieved at 8:40 a.m. yesterday.

According to his fellow mineworkers who helped in the search and retrieval, Landero’s body was crushed and was beginning  to emit foul odor.

“Mi-aksyon na og kabaho iyang lawas mao nga medyo nalangay ang pagkuha gikan didto sa ilawom,” said Leo Manulat, vice president of the Special Assistance on Fire and Rescue Inc. (Safari) which helped recover the young man’s body. (It was already beginning to smell that’s why it took awhile for us to get the remains out.)

The victim’s mother, Baselia, passed out upon seeing her son’s body, which was covered by a plastic sheet, being taken out of the rubble.

According to one of the rescue workers, they had to clear the accident site of debris before they could move in to recover the body.

Danao City Councilor Roland Reyes, who heads the local legislative body’s environment committee, said the mining firm, Ski Energy Resources Inc. (Seri), has stopped operations following the incident.

Seri operates three mining sites in Danao City, two in barangay Cahumayan and the accident site in barangay Dungga.

The three mineworkers who were taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City were discharged Saturday evening.

“The three hospitalized victims (identified as Ruben Malabago, Ranil Villanueva and Isidro Bacang) were released from the hospital about 9:30 p.m. yesterday. They sustained minor bruises,” said Antonio Labios, regional director of the Department of Energy, in a text message.

The DOE has sent a team to investigate the incident, Labios added.

The DOE official added that Seri has a valid operating permit.

Councilor Reyes said they will conduct a formal inquiry once the DOE completes its inspection.

According to the victim’s uncle, Antonio Labador, who was also working in the mine, they were working deep inside the shaft when the ground shook. The mine’s support structure which was made of wood toppled as the shaft started caving in. The miners rushed to move out, but Landero was pinned down by the falling debris.

Labador said he told his nephew to hold on  and promised that they would get him out, but the young man said he might not last for long.

Just as Landero uttered those words, the entire shaft collapsed.

Labador said they were forced to leave his nephew behind as their lives were also in danger.

Danao City Mayor Ramonito Durano, who arrived in the mine site together with the DOE inspection team led by Ed Amante, said the mining company disregarded safety when they implemented a “pakyaw” system in their coal mining operation.

The miners who worked in three shifts for 24 hours were paid based on the amount of coal they could load into a truck instead of getting paid on a daily basis, the mayor said.

He said the miners knew that the shaft was in danger of collapsing even before the incident happened.

Durano said the mining company was losing when they hired foreign engineers who were paid higher wages.

He said he was hesitant in signing the company’s business permit after learning that Seri hired the services of the  subcontractor, Virlo Construction, which in turn hired the miners, including the victims.

Amante of the DOE said they will speak to the miners today to verify certain information that cropped up during the initial phase of their investigation.

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