Construction worker killed after being buried under excavated earth in Antipolo

A construction worker was killed after being buried under excavated earth while repairing a riprap in Antipolo, Rizal, Chino Gaston reported Tuesday on “24 Oras.”

Antipolo Mayor Andrea Ynares said the repair work was a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which employed a contractor for the project.

Rescue teams found it difficult to retrieve the body of the construction worker due to the excavated earth and contruction materials used in the project.

Two construction workers were also injured in the incident. They were immediately brought to hospital.

“Parang lumindol po. Kasi po yung mga bakal naggagalawan na po eh. Tapos bigla pong umangat yung pinaka-pundasyon sa itaas. Tapos ayun po tumapon po sa kasama [namin]. Nasa ano po ako, nasa tubo po, nakatungtong po,” one of the injured construction workers said.

(It was like an earthquake because everything started moving. Then suddenly the topmost foundation fell on our companion. I stayed in the tube.)

The Antipolo mayor said she wanted to hold the contractor and the DPWH accountable for the incident.

Based on the notice of violation in Antipolo’s engineer office, the project had no excavation permit.

The Antipolo local government ordered an investigation on the possible charges that could be filed against those responsible for the incident.

“Mayroon po tayong tinitignan na negligence on the part ng contractor, kung bakit nagkaroon ng ganitong trahedya sa ating mga kababayan. Meron silang pending application pero binalik natin dahil meron tayong mga nakikitang ano so technically wala silang permit pa to do the project,” the authorities said.

(We are looking at negligence on the part of the contractor over why this tragedy happened to the construction workers. They have a pending application, and technically, they don't have a permit for the project.)

GMA News is still trying to get the side of the contractor and the DPWH. — Richa Noriega/DVM, GMA News