SAN JOSE De BUENAVISTA, Antique — A worker was killed while two others were injured after the Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) Panian open pit mine in Semirara, Antique province collapsed anew on Sunday.
Noemi Tagle, aunt of SMPC’s 22-year-old worker Lpath Felipe, said that as per the information she got, her nephew was roving with two other foremen at around 7 p.m. on Sunday night when the incident took place at Panian pit.
“I was informed that when the incident happened, other SMPC workers immediately rushed to rescue them but my nephew was buried alive,” she said in vernacular.
Tagle said the two other foremen were able to survive the incident but are currently confined at the Semirara Hospital after sustaining injuries.
“A cousin of mine is going to Semirara today to retrieve the body of Lpath,” she added.
She said that she was gravely saddened by the incident since her nephew has just graduated college at the University of Antique Caluya campus.
She said his nephew, Felipe, worked his way with the help of his sibling.
The Panian pit is still reportedly undergoing rehabilitation, in a bid to restore its original landscape.
Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao has previously asked to shut down its operations over deep mining activities and “exhaustion” of its coal resources.
The pit had previously collapsed in February 2013 leaving five workers dead.
In July 2015, a landslide also struck the area, which reportedly buried nine workers alive. (PNA)
