Rescuers race to reach 3 treasure hunters buried alive in Negros Oriental village

Final briefing of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Army reserved command. Photo by Alex Pal, Inquirer Visayas

SIBULAN, NEGROS ORIENTAL — Rescuers are racing against time to reach three treasure hunters who were buried alive in a tunnel 50 feet deep in Barangay Boloc-Boloc in Sibulan town, Negros Oriental Wednesday.

The buried treasure hunters are Feliciano Encilay Sr, 62 an employee of the Provincial Veterinary Office; Algie Javier, 29 of Sulodpan, Bacong, a former Overseas Filipino Worker; and Bobby Baldado of Palinpinon, Valencia. A fourth member, Mauro Alforque, survived to report the incident.

Feliciano Ensilay Jr, son of one of the miners, told the Inquirer that they believed their father was still alive because he is a strong person.

Luxme Ensilay said they have received text messages from a seer in Pagadian City who said their father and his companions were alive.

Rescuers from Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Army reserved command measure the depth of the pit-Photo by Alex Pal, Inquirer Visayas

“There are three persons and one of them is older. They are alive but the two others are getting weak,” read the text messages sent before 2 p.m.

The digging started on December 30 and continued until Wednesday, January 2.

“They timed it for the holidays because my father had to report for work today,” Feliciano Jr said.

Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo visited the area Wednesday night and dispatched two backhoes to help in the operations.

Rescuers from Sibulan, as well as from the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police, were joining the operation./lb

View from the other side. Photo by Alex Pal, Inquirer Visayas

The map used by rescuers to reach the site. Trapped miners are in bottom right of map. Photo by Alex Pal, Inquirer Visayas