FIVE small-scale miners were found dead inside an illegally dug tunnel on the grounds of a mining company in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, early Tuesday morning.
The victims, identified as Daniel Segundo Paggana , 47, Lipihon Ayudan, 56, and Florencio Indopia, 63, all residents of Barangay Runruno, and Alfred Bilibli and Joval Bantiyan, both from Maddela, Quirino, were discovered at a depth of approximately 91.44 meters (300 feet).
Authorities believe the miners, who were engaged in illegal mining activities, likely suffocated.
The bodies were discovered around 1 a.m. by Russel Tumapang, 29, a local resident who entered the tunnel and subsequently alerted Barangay Runruno chief John Babliing.
Rescue teams, composed of Quezon police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, were immediately dispatched to the site.
