Detailed astronaut photograph of the northern end of Semirara Island (Public domain photo from Wikipedia)
The death of at least six coal mine workers in Semirara Island in Antique on July 17 served as a tragic reminder that coal mining is an inherently dangerous occupation with health risks that cannot be ignored, said environmental health organization Health Care Without Harm-Asia. Most of the time, the impacts of coal combustion on human health, such as respiratory diseases resulting from air pollution, receive the greatest attention, but other phases in the life cycle of coal — such as mining and transport — also have their own health effects that need to be addressed.
