Remains of 3 Philippine Coal Miners Retrieved

Remains of 3 Philippine coal miners retrieved

MANILA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) — The Philippine authorities have retrieved the bodies of three miners killed in a collapsed coal pit in Dalaguete, Cebu, in the central Philippines, local officials said on Tuesday.

Dalaguete Mayor Ronald Alan Cesante said the remains were retrieved on Tuesday morning, adding that the bodies of the three were badly decomposed.

He said that the bodies of three other miners have yet to be recovered.

Thick methane gas in the coal pit and bad weather hampered rescue operations in the mine that produces about 3,000 to 3,500 tons of coal each month, the mayor earlier said.

The Department of Energy has launched an investigation into the incident. Investigators said a pocket of methane gas might have caused the blast on Dec. 10.

Energy authority has suspended the operations of the owner company until inspectors finish their investigation.