Four miners were rescued by firefighters after they were trapped for five days inside a collapsed tunnel in Barangay Lumbog, Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay.
According to Insp. Joe Ledesma, chief of Imelda fire station, Jimmy Cañete was the last to enter the tunnel in Purok Orchids. He was still out after the explosion on Tuesday.
Ledesma said, “All four died of exhaustion and difficulty breathing after the tunnel collapsed.” The tunnel was so deep that it was necessary to reinstall an air line to provide oxygen inside.
Col. Barnard Danie Dasugo, director of the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Police, ordered a in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the explosion and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Authorities continue to remind miners and operators of tunnels to ensure conditions underneath are safe to avoid disaster.
