7 found dead in Benguet tunnel

ITOGON, Benguet, Philippines — Seven small-scale miners were found dead inside a tunnel in Itogon, Benguet on Wednesday night.

Police are eyeing gas poisoning as the cause of death of the victims, identified as Alvin Daniel, 21; Crisanto Gapacan Jr., 19; Bryan Madrid, 18; Kenjie Mangayen, 19; Hill Padon, 25; Leonardo Pino, 62, and Orviel Valdez, 22.

Except for Pino who was from Cagayan Valley, the victims were residents of Barangay Bana-ao in Tadian, Mountain Province. 

Emergency responders retrieved all bodies from the tunnel in Sitio Dontog, Barangay Ampucao shortly before noon on Thursday.

The provincial government of Mountain Province has expressed sympathy for the relatives of the victims and the entire village of Bana-ao, which lost six residents in the incident.

Reports said barangay officials were alerted by a resident after the victims failed to come out of the tunnel at the expected time.

Authorities have yet to provide details about the incident.