By CESAR JOLITO III

A backhoe operator died after the heavy equipment he was manning capsized during a clearing operation in the coastal reclamation area of Barangay 1 in Negros Occidental’s Hinigaran town on Friday, November 21.

The victim (name withheld), identified by police as a 49-year-old resident of Barangay Miranda, was operating an amphibious backhoe owned by the municipal government when the machine suddenly sank at around 8:00 a.m.

Hinigaran police chief Lt. Colonel Jovil Sedel said initial findings showed that the soft and unstable soil caused the equipment to tilt leftward until it overturned.

Responders managed to extract the trapped operator roughly an hour later.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

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.

Police investigators are continuing to gather statements and assess the site to determine whether additional factors contributed to the capsizing.

Local officials extended condolences to the victim’s family as calls mount for stricter enforcement of occupational safety procedures in government-run operations./CJ, WDJ