Tuesday, September 23, 2008
13 miners trapped in flooded shaft (2:45 p.m.)
MANILA -- Rescuers scrambled Tuesday to reach 13 miners trapped in a gold mine shaft that was flooded by heavy rains dumped by Typhoon Hagupit in the northern Philippines, officials said.
Benguet Provincial Governor Nestor Fongwan said he ordered a search for the miners in the Itogon township mine, but that water must be pumped from the flooded shaft before rescuers can search.
The men failed to return home Monday night, said George Baywong, an official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, who is coordinating rescue efforts.
"We don't know if they are alive or dead," Baywong told The Associated Press. "We are hoping for the best - that there are air pockets there where they sought refuge."
Authorities are rushing in high-capacity water pumps, and are studying engineering maps to figure out how to get to the miners, who are believed to be trapped about 400-700 feet (120-210 meters) below the ground, Baywong said.
In nearby Bagiuo city, a 39-year-old woman was killed and her husband and 9-year-old daughter were injured when landslides triggered by heavy rains buried their home. Dozens of smaller landslides in the area damaged at least five houses and several vehicles, disaster relief officials said.
Typhoon Hagupit weakened early Tuesday as it moved toward the South China Sea with maximum winds of 99.42 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour) near the center and gusts of up to 121 mph (195 kph), the weather bureau said. (AP) |
