2 dead in mining tunnel in Masbate

NAGA CITY—Two small-scale miners were found dead in a tunnel in Panique village in the mining town of Aroroy, Masbate, on Wednesday, police said Saturday.

The bodies were identified as Nober Deonan and Antonio Reviro. Both were minors and residents of Uson town in the province, said Inspector Christian Jesus Huelva, chief of the Aroroy police.

Huelva quoted the miners’ financier as saying that the victims apparently died of suffocation.

Huelva said a similar case occurred in the same tunnel on July 3.

The victim of the earlier case, Rosaldo Cortes, 25, and a resident of Paraiso village in Milagros town, also died of suffocation.

Aroroy is one of the areas in Bicol found to be rich in gold deposits.

The Australian-Filipino consortium Masbate Gold Project, one of the three big mining firms in the region, operates in Aroroy town but small-scale mining operations are also prevalent in the Aroroy gold rush area.

In Compostela Valley, tribal leaders who were previously against mining have agreed to support mining proposals in several villages, including the gold-rich Mt. Diwata.

Rajah Carlito Buntas, a leader of the Dibabawon tribe, said the turnaround came after Jake Mining Corp. held extensive talks with tribal leaders.  With Jeffrey Tupas and Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao