One dead after mine tunnel collapses in northern Philippines

One dead after mine tunnel collapses in northern Philippines

2011-05-28 23:04:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

BENGUET, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- One miner was killed and two others were injured when a mine tunnel collapsed in northern Philippines, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on Saturday.

According to reports from the Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera, the accident was triggered by heavy rains in the town of Tuba in Benguet province. The body of 23-year-old Joey Marcos was recovered, while fellow miners Soriano Dizon and Pelino Pangpang-ek survived with only minor injuries.

Meanwhile, reports from the Philippine Coast Guard said strong winds brought about by Typhoon Chedeng snapped the lines holding a cargo vessel in the port of Basco on Friday night, causing the vessel to run aground. The 18 crew members were unhurt when they were rescued early Saturday.

Heavy rains also triggered landslides in other parts of the region, damaging roads and blocking traffic access temporarily. Although road crews have managed to reopen some major roads, other roads remain closed because the area continues to erode.

Nonetheless, the rains have been described as a blessing by farmers in Isabela province, where 80,000 hectares of rice and corn farms have benefited from it.

"The rainwater would be beneficial for irrigation and the generation of electricity," said Florentino Baniqued, district manager of the National Irrigation Administration’s Magat River Integrated Irrigation System.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-28