Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao told dzBB radio that initial information reaching her indicated the incident occurred at 3 a.m. Friday.
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Workers at the huge coal mine hail from Antique and Mindanao.
“Our prayers are with the families of the victims and we have directed SMC to focus on search and rescue operations”, said DOE officer-in-charge Zenaida Monsada.
Lavega said the weather was fine and there was no rain since the other day on the island, contrary to an earlier report that steady rain had been pouring over the area for days.
At least 9 killed in Semirara mine.
“Precautionary measures should have been in place”, the governor said.
Five people were killed during a similar episode at the same mine in 2013.
The Department of Energy on Friday ordered the suspension of the coal mining operations in Semirara Island following the collapse.
The contractor is the Semirara Mining and Power Corporation that belongs to the conglomerate DMCI Holdings, the country’s biggest coal miner.
The Energy Department ordered the immediate suspension of the company’s coal mining contract on Semirara Island and formed a team to investigate the accident. Huwag na sana nilang daanin sa pera-pera ngayon [In 2013, they just paid the victims’ families.
Regional Office of Civil Defense director Rosario Cabrera said there were a total of 13 workers at the collapsed mining site at that time and four other workers were able to run to safety.
Meanwhile, the missing workers, two of whom have already been found and confirmed dead this afternoon, were identified as Danilo Bayhon, Noel Tenolia, Tecson Gaupan, Arianne Gatulay, Generoso Talaro and Bernie Manriquez.
The bodies of the missing were never recovered.
Consunji said: “That’s as far as I know”.
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Some of the fatalities were identified as Ricardo Panes, Arnold Umac and a certain Nodo, all heavy equipment operators.
