A SMALL-SCALE miner survived while four others perished when a coal mine tunnel caved in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay province, an official said Monday, April 21, 2025.
Inspector Joey Ledesma, Imelda fire marshal, identified the lone survivor as Jimmy Cañete, 30 of Little Baguio village, Imelda.
The fatalities were identified as Dionisio Unday, 34; Ricardo Caso, 20; Arnel Tejeros of legal age; and, Aldren Otanio, 28.
Ledesma said the miners were trapped as the mine tunnel collapsed following an explosion that happened in Purok Orchids, Lumbog village, Imelda, around 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 15.
Ledesma said Cañete, who suffered second degree burns, managed to crawl out as he was the last person to enter the tunnel before the explosion.
The four fatalities were retrieve dead one after the other in retrieval operations launched by firemen of Imelda town.
Ledesma said the fatalities were retrieved as follows: Unday, Wednesday, April 16; Caso, Maundy Thursday, April 17; Tejeros, Black Saturday, April 19; and, Otanio, Easter Sunday, April 20.
He said the remains of the fatalities were taken to a funeral parlor and turned over to their respective families for burial rites.
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Barnard Danie Dasugo, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, said they will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
Dasugo said appropriated measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. (SunStar Zamboanga)