Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Argao mine explosion kills 1, injures 3
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- Just as a coalmine in Dalaguete town re-opened months after an accident killed eight of its miners, another mine in the neighboring town of Argao exploded with five miners inside.
Alfredo Pia Belesa, 35, of Barangay Lower Manlapay, Dalaguete, was killed on the spot while three were rushed to the hospital for burns Monday morning.
Injured were Romulo Ortega, 52, of Barangay Butong; Roberto Demo-losan, 21, of Barangay Canbantug; and Andres Baluncas, 42, of Barangay Manlapay, Dalaguete.
They were taken to the Isidro C. Kintanar Memorial Hospital in Argao before Ortega and Demolosan were transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City severe burns.
Diomedes Dayag, 29, of Barangay Calagasan, was the only one who escaped without injuries.
A team from the Department of Energy (DOE) was sent to Argao to investigate while operations were ordered suspended.
DOE 7 Director Antonio Labios said the suspension will remain in effect until the results of the investigation are out.
The Cebu Provincial Government, through the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO), will give P5,000 financial assistance and one of sack rice to Belesa's family.
PSWDO chief Marivic Garces also sent a social worker to VSMMC to check the needs of those injured and what Capitol can give as assistance.
All five miners are employees of Adlawon Mining Resources Corp. in Barangay Balaas, a mountain barangay about 20 kilometers from the town proper.
PO3 Ely Pelayo of the Argao Police Station said Balaas is at the boundary of Argao and Dalaguete and is the farthest barangay of the southern Cebu town.
Adlawon Mining Resources Corp. is owned by Robert Go.
Argao Mayor Wilfredo Caminero said this is not the same businessman who once headed the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Adlawon Mining Resources was granted a coal operation contract in March 1982.
DOE supervising science research specialist Roland Meneses said that as far as he could remember, this is the first incident for the firm.
Dayag said their shift started at 8 a.m. and they went into the mine about 100 feet deep.
There should have been seven miners, but he said two of their companions did not report for work Monday.
An hour later, he said he heard a loud rumbling sound from inside the mine, prompting him to leap to a pool of water inside the tunnel.
The next thing he saw was a ball of fire, which he believes killed Bejesa and injured his companions.
Dayag said he crawled out of the mine and alerted his companions outside to help him rescue the other miners.
The other miners were about 20 to 30 meters away from where he was at the time of the explosion.
"But the one who died, he was farthest. He and the others were on the pathway," Dayag explained.
Meneses of DOE 7 told Sun.Star that part of the department's mandate is to inspect mining sites every quarter.
He said that in past inspections, requirements of coal mining operations have been followed.
Six coal mining firms operate in Cebu, including Adlawon.
The five others are SKI Corp. in Danao City, Forum Exploration Corp. in Uling, Naga, Multi-Mineral Corp. in Toledo City, MG Mining Corp. in Argao and Ibalong Resources Corp. in Dalaguete.
Caminero, who also owns a mine in the area, said blasts caused by sparks in a cave that has a high concentration of methane gas are common.
He said if blowers used for ventilation are not checked thoroughly, these could cause sparks.
When an enclosed area has a high concentration of methane gas, sparks could cause an explosion.
Such was the case when an explosion inside a tunnel in Sitio Canlawilao, Barangay Dumalan, Dalaguete killed eight miners in December last year.
Caminero, in a telephone interview, told Sun.Star that the mine has been operating since the 1980's.
Aside from Adlawon, Go also operates other coal mines in the area.
Asked if he plans to give financial assistance to the victims, Caminero said he will still see if the company will give full compensation.
Police in Argao initially did not know of the blast and only learned about it when different media organizations called to confirm if the incident occurred.
They said nobody from the mine or the barangay arrived to report the incident. (With Elias O. Baquero/MBG/Sun.Star Cebu)
(October 10, 2006 issue)
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