SAN JOSE, Antique, Feb. 14 (PNA) -- A Semirara village councilman said Thursday the accident that occurred at the open pit mine of Semirara Coal Corporation (SMC) Wednesday night could have been avoided.
Mozart Lim, a first cousin of the casualty in the accident, said the mining firm’s Crack Monitoring Team gave out late afternoon of February 13 an advice that cracks were spotted in portions of the mine pit wall but these were reportedly taken lightly by the management.
A member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Caluya town who requested anonymity confirmed the report.
The Philippine National Police in the municipality has very limited information on the incident as reportedly, the management of DMCI Holdings, Inc., which owns SMC ordered a news blackout on the case.
Meanwhile, the lone casualty in the mining accident has been identified.
Abner Lim, 42 years old, married with three children and a native of Barangay Semirara in Semirara Island, Caluya, Antique, was the mine firm’s general foreman and first cousin of Caluya Mayor Genevieve Lim-Reyes.
Ten people remain to be missing in the mine site accident.
Three injured persons were initially treated at the DMCI Hospital in the island but were airlifted to Manila Thursday morning for further treatment. Two of them are reportedly in serious condition.
Rescue operations are ongoing as of press time. Efforts to interview Mayor Reyes of Caluya are futile as she refuses to answer calls.
Initial reports obtained from sources in the mine site said the incident happened around 11:30 p.m., February 13.
Buried along with the mine personnel were a number of heavy equipment including a backhoe, a pay loader and dump trucks.
Reports obtained from reliable sources said the mine workers were on break when the incident happened.
The Pani-an Open Pit is the second open pit being mined by DMCI after Unong Pit, the first pit that was declared very dangerous, having been mined for more than 20 years.(PNA) source
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