4 hurt in landslide inside Eastern Samar town hydroelectric plant

Eastern Samar map

TACLOBAN CITY — Four backhoe operators were hurt in a landslide inside a hydroelectric plant compound in Taft town, Eastern Samar on Thursday, February 16.

Injured were Victor Loriaga, Antonio Culandag, Hadjie Irasga, and Criswin Viñas.

Senior Master Sergeant Reynaldo Barcial, officer-on-case of the Taft police station, said the four men were working at about 11:30 a.m. inside the compound of the company in Barangay San Rafael when the landslide occurred.

“The four workers were working at that time when the landslide coming from a mountain occurred, hitting them with one buried but was pulled out by his co-workers,” the police officer said in a phone interview.

At the time of the incident, there was a heavy downpour which may have caused the landslide, Barcial also said.

All four men were immediately transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

San Rafael, where the facility is located, is about 31 kms away from the town proper and six kms away from the national highway.

The Inquirer contacted the company through its social media account but has yet to get a response as of Friday afternoon.

The Taft Hydro Energy is a 16-megawatt hydroelectric power plant whose source of power is from the Taft-Tubig River.

It started its operations in November 2021 and sells its energy to Luzon.

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