Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Private miner dies in Balatoc Mines
AN UNDERGROUND miner reportedly died of gas suffocation after he allegedly insisted on entering a drain portal tunnel of Benguet Corporation located in Balatoc, Virac, Itogon, Benguet, despite a warning from his companions last week.
However, a report of this incident was not disclosed immediately because those concerned only allegedly reported it to the police much later.
The victim in this case was identified in a belated report yesterday by Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales, director of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, as Roynaldo Lewis, 30, married and a resident of Balatoc, Virac, Itogon, Benguet. He reportedly worked as a private miner under Pines Green Gold Mining contracted by a certain Joseph Sibayan.
According to an initial investigation, Lewis was allegedly found to have died of gas suffocation inside the tunnel at around 9 a.m. last July 17.
Personnel of the Itogon Municipal Police Station explained that the victim entered the portal earlier despite a warning from his companions about the unusual smell of gas emanating from inside the tunnel, but which the victim chose to ignore.
After a time, his companions followed him inside the portal and found him already lifeless inside the tunnel.
After his body was retrieved by his companions, they transported him to his hometown in Besao, Mountain Province, and only reported the incident to the Itogon police station later. (ENO)
(July 25, 2006 issue)
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