Bodies of 2 more Benguet miners found

BAGUIO CITY—The remains of two more miners who had been initially reported to be missing were retrieved by rescuers on Friday and Saturday at a landslide area in Benguet’s mining town of Mankayan, bringing the death toll from slides triggered by Typhoon “Ineng” (international name: Goni) to 26.

The body of Jose Aluyan was recovered at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 28 while that of Crisanto Ablao was found at 10 a.m. on Aug. 29, said Insp. Joyce Ann Dayag, Benguet police spokesperson.

Ablao’s relatives had been frequenting Taneg village in Mankayan where 16 miners disappeared after a portion of a nearby mountain toppled, dragging a mine camp where they had sought shelter from Ineng on Aug. 22.

Eight other miners remained missing, police said.

Strong afternoon rain slowed down digging at the site, where loose earth prevented the use of heavy machinery, according to Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan. To speed up the recovery, policemen and soldiers had been using pressurized water to clear loose top soil, Fongwan said.

On Aug. 26, residents of Taneg staged an “atang” (offering) to beseech their ancestral spirits to help them locate the missing miners. Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon