Diggings near school seen toxic fume source

NAGA CITY—Police investigators in Basud, Camarines Norte province, are looking at the illegal operations of treasure hunters or small-scale miners as the source of toxic fumes that took ill 50 people, mostly children, at an elementary school in the town.

Senior Supt. Harris Fama, Camarines Norte police chief, said investigators are now establishing the identities of at least three miners who were believed to be hunting for gold inside the school compound and had dumped toxic materials underneath an old flagpole.

He said most of the pupils and teachers were holding classes in classrooms near the old flagpole when they inhaled the foul smelling fume around 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

The children and teachers suffered stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. They were all rushed to the provincial hospital in the capital town of Daet.

Nine of the children, with ages ranging from 5 to 11, required hospitalization and were diagnosed to be suffering from “inhalational intoxication.”

Fama said police received information that three miners entered the school compound late in the evening of Tuesday and supposedly searched for gold in the area surrounding the old flagpole.

Insp. Rogelyn Calendria, the police chief of Basud, affirmed in a separate phone interview on Friday that her investigators are now searching for the three miners.

She said police are trying to find out what could have prompted the treasure hunters to look for gold at the elementary school in Barangay San Felipe, which she described as an interior village that is a 20-minute ride from the municipal police station at the town proper.

Calendria said investigators are also scouring the area for evidence that would lead to the identification of the substance that caused the gas poisoning.

As of 2 p.m. yesterday, the investigators were still in the area questioning residents of Barangay San Felipe, she said.