2 of 5 miners found alive from Nueva Vizcaya mine tunnel

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — In a sudden twist of fate, two of the five miners initially believed to have died inside a tunnel in Barangay Runruno, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, were rescued alive on Tuesday, according to the latest report from the Nueva Vizcaya police.

Alfred Dulnuan Bilibli was the first to be rescued shortly after 2:00 p.m., followed by his colleague, Joval Bantiyan, who was located past 7:00 p.m. the same day.

Rescue efforts are ongoing for the three remaining miners: Daniel Segundo Paggana, 47; Lipihon Bumulyad Ayudan, 56; and Florencio Napudo Indopia, 63 — all residents of Barangay Runruno.

Police initially presumed all five miners had died based on early information that reached them.

Russel Tumapang, 29, also from Barangay Runruno, discovered the victims after entering the tunnel in Sitio Compound around 1:00 a.m. and immediately alerted authorities.

Police said the two rescued miners were found approximately 300 meters deep inside the tunnel. The three others are believed to be trapped farther in.

Relatives, residents and rescue personnel are hopeful that the three remaining miners are still alive.

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Editor's note: In an earlier version of the report, it was incorrectly stated that five miners were found dead in a tunnel in Barangay Runruno, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya. As of the latest update, two of the five miners have been rescued alive, while search and rescue operations continue for the remaining three.