POLICE reported the deaths of three people due to suffocation while allegedly searching for gold down a hole they have dug in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, on Monday, July 1, 2024.
The victims included two men, 48 and 38 years old, and the 15-year-old son of one of the victims. Their companion, a minor, survived and is recuperating in the hospital.
Investigation showed that the water pump engine the victims used may have exploded and the smoke it emitted suffocated the victims.
The rescue operation was reportedly challenging because the hole is 25 feet deep and is narrow.
Later, the bodies of the victims were retrieved.
One of the first responders said they heard an explosion from down the hole and the victims were shouting for help as they could hardly breathe.
Mayor Alexis Quina said the victims may have been mining for gold and died because of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Quina also said the mining operation conducted by the victims was illegal and barangay officials who might have known and tolerated the activity may be held accountable.
metrosundaily
