Police secure the area in Barangay Palanas in Paracale, Camarines
Norte, where a mining accident occurred on Tuesday, killing at least three
small-scale miners. – Photo courtesy of JONAS CABILES SOLTES/INQUIRER SOUTHERN
LUZON
By JONAS CABILES SOLTES
PARACALE: There is a mining disaster in this town but authorities
cannot yet determine its magnitude because no miner wants to speak.
On Wednesday night, the CamNorte police confirmed the death of
at least three small-scale miners.
But the local government on Thursday expressed fear that the number of
casualties could be higher as at least seven mining pits had been flooded by
seawater after a blasting accident on Wednesday.
The accident happened in a seaside village of Palanas, just 2km from
the town proper, where at least 100 mining pits are located. Some exceed depths
of 20 meters.
Senen Inocalla, administrative officer and aide of Paracale Mayor Romeo
Moreno, said officials received a report that a dynamite blast in one of the
pits in Palanas on Tuesday punctured at least seven pits and brought seawater
rushing into them.
Senen said no body has yet been found, however.
She said the mayor kept watch during retrieval operations on Wednesday.
They continued until Thursday.
According to Senen, miners themselves were conducting the retrieval
operations. Miners who dived into the pits in search of bodies said pieces of
debris, including ores in sacks and pieces of wood, were blocking the entrances
to the pits, making the search more difficult.
Senen said the municipal government sought help from the regional civil
defense office of Bicol.
Expert divers are needed, she said.
“No miner here would speak,” said Senen.
She said officials are not discounting the possibility that there could
be more casualties.
One of the mining pits was already stinking on Thursday afternoon and
flies were all over the place.
As of yesterday, many of the pits are still under water. Senen said the
municipal government had recommended the dismantling of the mining pits.
CamNorte Gov Edgardo Tallado in a previous interview said that while he
discouraged unlicensed small-scale mining in Paracale, there was virtually
nothing he could do about it. - Inquirer
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