Rescue operation for trapped miners in Agusan town called off

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 17 July) — The search for three miners trapped in a gold mining tunnel in neighboring Rosario town has been officially halted on Tuesday as authorities confirmed the miners could no longer be rescued.

Mayor Jupiter Cervantes Abulog (wearing white shirt), of the municipality of Rosario in Agusan del Sur, confers with rescuers near the tunnel that collapsed in Barangay Bayugan III. Photo from the Facebook page of Mayor Abulog

The retrieval operation, which began on July 3, was declared no longer viable due to safety concerns.

Barangay captain Michael Rhay Hambala, who serves as the incident commander of the Bayugan III Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Council, told local media in an interview on Wednesday that the collapsed tunnel in Sitio Mahunok is completely unsafe for further efforts.

The tunnel, he said, was flooded with contaminated water, and the air within is now hazardous due to bacteria from the decomposing bodies.

In a meeting on Tuesday, teams from the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Council, local government units, and the Philsaga Mining Corp. Emergency Rescue Team concluded that the collapsed site should be sealed off entirely to prevent any future attempts to dig it out.

Of the four victims, only one body, that of Jeffrey Tabugon, 29, was recovered. His remains were laid to rest at the Barangay 3 public cemetery. The families of the remaining victims—Arnel Alvarado, 38; Richard Bustamante, 29; and John Mark Balagno, 28—were allowed to offer their prayers and pay their last respects.

Eutiquio Quimada, the team leader of the tunnel operation, shared that some workers had just exited the tunnel when they heard a loud burst of water, which they believed came from another abandoned tunnel.

He said the tunnel operation employed 26 workers: four are “abanteros” and the rest, “atraseros.” The former are the ones who dig into the tunnel, moving forward. The “atraseros,” on the other hand, carry the ore and the debris out. The four trapped were “abanteros,” Quimada said.

Rochelle Santos, the owner of the tunnel operation, promised compensation of P100,000 for each affected family. Additionally, each child from the victims’ families will receive one hectare of land planted with oil palm, ensuring their educational support.

The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office has provided each family with ₱15,000, with an additional ₱10,000 from the municipal government and another ₱10,000 from the Dumper Party List. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)