NEGROS Occidental – A backhoe operator died after the heavy equipment he was manning capsized during a clearing operation in the river at the reclamation area in Barangay 1, Hinigaran town, on November 21.
The victim, identified by police as alias “Harry”, a 49-year-old resident of Barangay Miranda, was operating an amphibious backhoe owned by the municipal government when the excavator suddenly fell upside down at around 8 a.m.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovil Sedel, Hinigaran police chief, said initial findings showed that the soft and unstable soil caused the equipment to tilt leftward until it overturned.
The accident was reported at 9:25 a.m., with responders managing to extract the operator roughly an hour later. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Authorities said the incident occurred during routine clearing work in the reclamation area, which has long been identified as having unstable ground conditions. Following the tragedy, the municipal government is expected to review safety protocols for workers and equipment deployed in high-risk zones.
As of this writing, police were still gathering statements and assessing the site to determine whether additional factors contributed to the incident.
Local officials extended condolences to the victim’s family as calls mounted for stricter enforcement of occupational safety procedures in government projects. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
