RELATIVES of Melvin Landero, 20, who died in a collapsed tunnel, anxiously await news about the coal miner outside the mining site being operated by Seri Mining Corp. in the mountain village of Dungga in Danao City. JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS
CEBU CITY, Philippines—A 20-year-old miner was killed while three others were hurt on Saturday when a coal mine caved in in Danao City in northern Cebu province.
Police identified the dead as Melvin Landero of Barangay (village) Dungga, around 20 kilometers from the city proper. His body was recovered Sunday.
Three other miners were brought to Danao City Provincial Hospital for injuries, said PO1 Joseph Aledon, Danao police investigator. They were Ruben Malabago of Barangay Cahumayan; Isidro Bacang, 22, of Barangay Mantiha; and Ranil Villanueva of Barangay Cahumayan—all of Danao.
Aledon said two other miners—twin brothers Edgardo and Eduardo Maying—managed to crawl out of the tunnel before it caved in and were unhurt.
The six were working at the coal mine owned by Seri Mining Corp.
Aledon said authorities had yet to verify if the company had permits to conduct coal mining activities in the area.
He said he was told by the Maying brothers that they were with Landero inside the tunnel about 400 meters from the entrance when Landero, after hearing a thud, alerted them to a possible collapse of the tunnel.
Landero was the first to run using the main path of the tunnel to the entrance, but a boulder fell on him.