Search for miners buried in landslide ends

After 26 days, the search for miners who were buried in a landslide in Mankayan, Benguet, has officially ended.

The bodies of all 16 missing miners have been recovered, said Senior Superintendent Jonathan Calixto, Benguet Provincial Public Safety Company (BPPSC) head who led the search and retrieval operations.

Calixto said the last body, that of Ronaldo Angel, was found on September 16.

Angel, a native of Aurora province, is said to be the financier of the small-scale mining operations in Mankayan.

Calixto said officials had given the search for the remaining bodies, but volunteers refused to give up.

“We convinced our volunteers that we had to continue the search and retrieval operations until all the bodies of the missing miners because our conscience could not take it that we will be leaving the site with some people still missing,” Calixto said.

Calixto thanked the more than 500 police, military, civilian volunteers including miners of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, who took part in the search

Thursday 24 September 2015

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/local-news/2015/09/23/search-miners-buried-landslide-ends-432049

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American Legion raises money to assist recovery of MIAs

Past District Commander Philip Baker the POW/MIA Chairman for the Department of Missouri and Post Vice Commander, along with members of Post 281 raised awareness of the 37 Missouri MIA's still remaining in Vietnam. “They all deserve to be brought home and the Piedmont American Legion will continue to work towards that goal,” concluded Cmdr.

Baker at a recent helmet drive conducted on Saturday, to help in the recovery efforts of MIA's in the Viet Nam theatre. With the Republic of Vietnam improvement of efforts in the recovery of bodies of U.S. soldiers missing in action they wanted to assure that U.S. teams be funded. The downside to this is the U.S. Government had yet to come up with resources to properly fund the repatriation of those remains still remaining in the Vietnam theater of operations.

The official POW/MIA recognition day is always the third Friday in September. Legion members worked in shifts to participate in the helmet drive that was held at the stop light in the center of town. Thanks to the generous community that was receptive to their impassioned plea they raised in one day over $2,222 which will be forwarded on to assist in recovering remains of MIA's in Vietnam. Last year they raised in two days over $4,600.00 and their efforts led to the recovery of one of our 38 Missouri MIA's earlier this year by the returning of the remains of a Missouri soldier killed more than four decades ago when his Army helicopter crashed in Cambodia during the Vietnam war. The remains of Rodney Griffin arrived April 23rd at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Patriot Guard motorcyclists led the hearse to Griffin's native mid-Missouri home in Centralia, Mo.

Thursday 24 September 2015

http://www.waynecojournalbanner.com/news/city/article_65223b3c-6203-11e5-a650-d3fb0e9255ff.html

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Austrian Police say 10 migrants found dead in truck were Iraqis

The 71 migrants found dead in a lorry in Austria last month included at least 10 Iraqi adults, Austrian police said September 23.

Nearly a month after they suffocated in the sealed vehicle, nine men and one woman from Iraq were the first to be identified. Four of the bodies have been handed over to their families.

Confirmation of further identities is expected soon as relatives have provided valuable information, police spokesman Gerald Gangl said. He added it might be weeks or even months before the names of all the victims are known.

"One has to take into account that DNA samples have to be obtained from countries such as Afghanistan," Gangl said, explaining why the process will take time.

Forensic investigations suggest that the migrants suffocated half an hour after the lorry started its trip in the Hungarian capital Budapest, and that they were already dead when the vehicle entered Austria.

Five suspects have been arrested in Hungary, and one man is being held in Bulgaria in connection with the case.

Thursday 24 September 2015

http://www.rferl.org/content/austrian-police-say-10-migrants-found-dead-in-truck-were-iraqis/27266994.html

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