Mining blast kills Chinese, Filipino worker

TAGUM CITY—A Chinese national and a Filipino mine worker were killed following an explosion at a gold mining area in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, police on Tuesday said.

Li Zheng and Loreto Palobon died instantly after lighted dynamite prematurely exploded inside a mining shaft the victims were working in at Sitio Pirada, Barangay Del Pilar, past 4 p.m. on Saturday, according to Supt. Martin Gamba, Caraga regional police information officer.

Gamba said in a phone interview that the victims were placing dynamite sticks inside the mining shaft owned by the Chinese national when the explosion happened.

Three other miners—Delio Guy-an, Along Latunan and a certain Ruel—escaped unharmed.

Investigators were quoted as saying that the miners, their operations financed by Zheng, did not coordinate their mining operations with village and municipal officials, said Gamba.

Gamba said the 39-year-old Palobon was supposed to be a dynamite expert.