4 trapped miners in Masbate rescued

MASBATE—Four small-scale miners who were trapped in a 140-meter deep tunnel in Barangay Panique in Aroroy, Masbate, were rescued by fellow miners on Wednesday, the Masbate police said Thursday.

Senior Insp. Lope Badillo, chief of the community relations office of Masbate police, said the accident occurred in Sitio Gintong Araw at about 4 p.m.

Badillo said the four miners were working inside the tunnel when its walls collapsed due to torrential rains.

The four were safely pulled out, but the incident prompted authorities to stop small-scale mining in the area, Badillo said. Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon