Apex Mining Co. Inc. on Monday reported operating on limited capacity due to a landslide at its premises in Barangay Masara, Maco, Davao De Oro last week.
Since February 7, milling activities have been reduced to a range of 50 percent to 80 percent.
But it emphasized that shipment and sale of metal products produced in January were completed before the landslide occurred.
It projected lower volume of gold and silver sold in upcoming shipments due limited operations, the company said.
Davao De Oro has been battered by heavy rains the past two weeks. The area where the slide happened is outside its mine operations but is used as vehicle terminal for buses and jeepneys servicing the employees, its service providers and members of the community, Apex said.
“The company is focused on fully supporting the rescue operations of the local government unit by providing equipment, manpower and food supplies to affected residents, including our employees. The company is on limited operations while it provides resources to the rescue operations,” it said.
The landslide is about 500 meters away from the company gate. Three buses and one jeepney rented to ferry the employees and service providers for the outgoing 7pm shift were buried during the landslide.
“As of this reporting, all these vehicles have been recovered,” the company said.
Nine Apex employees were recovered dead from the landslide site, and one was injured and currently being treated in a hospital in Davao region.
Search and rescue operations continue to locate and search for the nine unaccounted for or missing employees. Efforts have been hampered by moderate to heavy rains, minor landslides and earthquake.
On the headcount, including residents and non-employees, the Maco Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported a total 54 dead, 63 missing and 32 injured individuals as of Sunday evening.
“Personnel from safety, security, community relations, general services, geologists, heavy equipment machine operators were deployed and continue to assist in the search, retrieval, rescue and relief operations,” the company said.
Power supply is uninterrupted at the mining site to maintain the necessary ventilation and dewatering of the active underground tunnels where its limited manpower operates. Ore stockpiles mined in the previous days are being milled, it said.
Strategies will be implemented to address production gaps once the rescue, retrieval and clearing operations have been completed, the company said.
