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Threat of another landslide halts retrieval ops in ComVal


The threat of another landslide in a mining area in Compostela Valley — where more than a dozen miners are still trapped — has forced authorities to stop retrieval operations and instead evacuate people to safer places on Tuesday. Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesman of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said the area surrounding the mining site in Kingking village in Pantukan town has already "deteriorated" and has become "dangerous" for government authorities who are trying to retrieve the miners. "Kasi iyong retrieval area ngayon, nakaharap iyan [at] katabi iyan ng gumuho na area which is na-determine natin na posible... sigurado sila na guguho rin talaga (The retrieval area is beside the collapsed mining site and where another landslide could happen)," said Paniza. Days of constant rains triggered the landslide at the mining site last Friday, burying houses and people nearby. As of posting time, eight bodies have already been retrieved while 16 people remain missing. Paniza said authorities have now shifted their efforts from retrieval operations to the "voluntary evacuation" of some 112 families or more than 500 individuals living or working near the collapsed mining site. Interviewed over GMA Network's Unang Balita earlier in the day, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said a team of geologists discovered one more crack that could trigger another landslide that would affect over 100 houses in the area. On Monday, a 70-meter crack was also seen in the site where around 30 houses are located. "Isa o dalawang ulan na lang, siguro gagalaw na yun," Paje said.

Experts inspecting the area observed that the heavy equipment being used in digging operations could have compromised the stability of the soil. Paniza said retrieval operations would only resume once authorities are certain that there is no longer any danger of any landslide in the area. The military official said the government is now giving more importance to evacuating the people, than retrieving the trapped miners, who authorities have admitted might have a "very very slim" chance of survival by this time. "Kaya inuna natin muna yung mga buhay kasi magiging biktima uli yan sila pagka hindi natin inalis [That is why were are focusing on those who are still alive because they might become victims of another landslide if we don't evacuate them]," Paniza stressed. Lt. Col. Leopoldo Galon, spokesman of the Armd Forces of the Philippine Eastern Mindanao Command, said those covered by the evacuation were both the residents living near the site and the small-scale miners working there. The local government has already designated a temporary evacuation site for those residents who would be choosing to leave the area. Authorities are also planning to give alternative livelihood projects for evacuated people. Galon said they arethinking about hiring villagers as forest rangers to secure the area and help in reforestation efforts in the village. The association of small-scale miners in the area has likewise been tasked to determine a relocation site for the affected families. — with Karlitos Brian Decena/RSJ, GMA News
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