Tunnels blamed cause of landslides, floods : PGMA orders mine firm probed on miners’ death

By Dexter A. See

ITOGON, Benguet — The management of Benguet Corp. is being investigated for the alleged diversion of the natural flow of the Antamok River which caused the death of six miners here who were trapped by floodwaters inside tunnels at the height of Typhoon Nina.

Ten others were rescued within the week. The company allegedly constructed two diversion tunnels now being blamed as cause of the huge landslides at two sitios of Barangay Luacan and the flooding of the underground work sites that claimed the lives of six miners at the height of Typhoon Nina. The investigation is being conducted upon the order of President Arroyo.

The order was issued shortly after the last missing miner was rescued by his fellow pocket miners at Level 700 of BC’s flooded mine tunnel.

The purpose of the investigation is to identify and penalize the parties responsible for the tragic mine accident, it was reported.

Some residents and officials of this town asked why the two diversion tunnels, which were constructed in the early 1900s to pave the way for the large-scale mining operations of BC, were not closed when the company stopped its operations in the 1990s.

The residents said the tunnels had diverted the flow of the Antamok River to Barangay Luacan to prevent the river water from flowing directly to the company’s open-pit mine sites.

However, the same residents noted construction of the two diversion tunnels did not serve its purpose because the tunnels were clogged.

They said pressure of the dammed water became so strong that it triggered the huge landslides which displaced at least 120 families at Sitios Tugue and Coral in Barangay Luacan.

They also said that when the clogged tunnels burst, the water flooded the mine tunnel and trapped the 16 pocket miners.

The huge landslides covered a 50-hectare land in the barangay, destroying at least 90 houses. Thirty-seven of the houses were buried under tons of earth and boulders, displacing some 1,000 individuals.

It was reported that since last June, BC had been negotiating with a group of pocket miners on a sharing scheme for the conduct of small-scale mining activities at the abandoned mine site.

But the parties have not reached any deal, it was learned. Due to the lack of an agreement or contract, the miners trapped in the flooded tunnel were considered to have illegally entered the mine site.

They allegedly removed the steel gates placed in the portals of the mine area. The residents said the pocket miners demanded a 90-10 sharing scheme with the company, but BC management wanted an 80-20 sharing deal.