Bodies of 4 miners found in tunnel

MANILA, Philippines – Rescuers recovered four more bodies last Wednesday night and yesterday morning at the mining tunnel in Itogon, Benguet, where 16 miners were trapped when heavy rains triggered by typhoon “Nina” flooded the mining area last Sept. 22.

Nine survivors were rescued one after another in the past days by combined rescue teams from the Philippine Navy Special Operations Group of Naval Forces Northern Luzon based in Poro Point in La Union, Benguet Corp., Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Rescue 911, Philippine National Red Cross, and the Baguio Emergency and Medical Services.

George Baywong, an officer of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said the latest fatalities were identified as Juan Himmayod, his brothers Rudy and Marvin, and Joel Bulga.

Two other miners, identified as Jojo Himmayod and his cousin Vincent Himmayod, were found dead last Sept. 25.

Baywong said among the survivors were Antonio Ngitit Pagulayan and his cousin Jose Panio Jr., both of Hingyon, Ifugao, who were rescued last Sunday.

Rescuers also found last Monday and Tuesday survivors Gerry Monyubda, Jayson Himmayod, Robert Mabulwa, and Gary Gano.

Mario Anayasan, Gilbert Nattem, and Rudy Buling Jr. were rescued last Wednesday.

Only one miner, Joseph Anayasan, brother survivor Mario Anayasan, remained missing.

Paeng Valencia, chief of Rescue 911 group, said Joseph Anayasan is a wanted robbery suspect who has two pending warrants of arrest issued by local courts.

Valencia said there are speculations that Anayasan is hiding inside the tunnel to evade being arrested once he is rescued.

Others believe that Anayasan could have already slipped out of the tunnel and escaped.

Anayasan’s brother Mario said Joseph got separated from their group when they were swept by floodwaters inside the tunnel.

The miners were trapped in more than five feet of floodwaters in a mining tunnel that has not been operational for months.

The rescuers found the survivors at shaft 114, level 700 of the tunnel, owned by Benguet Corp. in Barangay Poblacion in Itogon.

The nine survivors are now in stable condition and undergoing tests at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

Baywong said the mining tunnel was abandoned in the 1990s. The company had posted guards at two entrances to prevent accidents.

The trapped miners were apparently working on their own with no permit, and dug a narrow passageway to gain access to the tunnel, Baywong said.

Rescuers said the men managed to survive by standing on a ledge or seeking refuge in elevated portions of the tunnel where there was enough oxygen to keep them alive.

Some survived in the dark tunnel without food by drinking rainwater, while others rationed the drinking water they brought with them when they entered the tunnel more than 10 days ago.

Elite Navy commandos led rescuers

Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, Navy spokesman, said divers of the Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) or the local counterpart of the US Navy Seals (Sea, Air, Land) team, led the composite search rescue teams that found the survivors and recovered the dead miner at the Itogon mine tunnel.

“Right from the start of the operations, they (divers) encountered a lot of difficulties. When they arrived in the area in the evening of September 25, they had to trek in a muddy and slippery terrain to the mine site where the miners were trapped. When they arrived there, they immediately started their operations because time is of the essence and lives are at stake,” he said.

Arevalo said that shortly after diving into the tunnel the divers heard the voices of the trapped miners.

He said the NAVSOG commandos from the Naval Forces Northern Luzon based in Poro Point in La Union, were not familiar with the mines when they arrived and they were concerned that they could get lost in the maze-like tunnel network.

The divers picked six local miners and gave them a crash course on scuba diving so they could serve as guides.

Arevalo said on the first day of the operations of the navy divers, they recovered the bodies of Vincent and Jojo Himmayod.

For several days the divers operated in a mixture of floodwater, mud, grease and the odor from decomposing bodies.

“They were having difficulty moving inside the tunnel because aside from mud, the grease from decomposing bodies was obscuring their face masks and flashlights, so they had no option but to grope in the dark to reach the trapped miners,” he said, adding that the first team, which was composed of only eight commandos, was reinforced only after five days, giving them the opportunity to work 12-hour shifts.

The first eight-man team that reached the site had to work for 24 hours because there were no other divers that could help them.

“Our divers really displayed strength of heart and determination to save lives, while putting their own at great risk. They would be honored by the navy leadership for their heroism,” Arevalo said.

Efforts to find the remaining missing miner Joseph Anayasan are focused on the river leading to San Roque Dam in Pangasinan where he might have been swept by the strong current from the mining tunnel.

“Two teams are simultaneously doing the search in said locations, the navy divers inside the tunnel, and a group of miners in the river,” he said.

Baywong ordered the termination of search operations at the mining tunnel at about 5 p.m. yesterday.

The Navy divers who were involved in the operations would undergo medical examination to ensure that they were not exposed to any toxic gas inside the mine tunnel. – WIth AP