Body of miner to be repatriated to Philippines this week

The body of the mine-worker killed in an underground rockfall on Thursday will be repatriated to his native Philippines this week.

A recovery operation which lasted more than two days was completed at 11.30pm on Saturday when rescue workers and emergency services brought the remains of Mario Francis, 49, to the surface at Lisheen Mine in Co Tipperary.

Mr Francis, who worked at the lead and zinc mine for more than 12 years and lived in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, died when rocks fell on the loader vehicle he was driving in a section of tunnel on Thursday afternoon.

He was found by co-workers at about 4.45pm and paramedics pronounced him dead a short time later.

However, because of the unstable state of the tunnel, attempts to remove his body had to be abandoned at about midnight that night.

Work to make the area safe continued throughout Friday and Saturday and management at Lisheen Mine, located close to Thurles, confirmed his body had been brought to the surface at 11.30pm on Saturday.

The deceased was brought by garda escort to Limerick Regional Hospital on Saturday night, and an autopsy took place yesterday.

Mr Francis’s remains were expected to be released to his wife My-Ann later yesterday and will be brought back to the Philippines this week for burial.

Lisheen Mine general manager Joe Elmes expressed sympathy and the sympathy of all staff to Mr Francis’s wife My-Ann, their sons Jomar, 9, and Jolrem, 5, and his children from a previous marriage in the Philippines, Julemar, 22, and Mario Jr, 15.

“Despite the shock and sadness we all still feel at the death of our colleague Mario, we are comforted that his remains are now back in the care of his family,” Mr Elmes said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Mario was a well-liked employee and we will dearly miss him.”

He thanked the emergency services and mine rescue team and all colleagues who “worked tirelessly” to recover Mario’s remains to ensure his body could be safely recovered as quickly as possible.

Family members, friends, and co-workers gathered on Friday evening for a memorial service in tribute to Mario Francis while Siptu members also sent a message of sympathy and support.