Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Engineer, miner die from lack of oxygen in tunnel (5:24 p.m.)
BENGUET - An engineer and a miner died in a mine tunnel after they ran out of oxygen while fixing leaky water pipes in the mountainous northern Philippines, police said Tuesday.
The engineer and two miners entered the narrow mine tunnel in La Trinidad township, in Benguet province, on Monday to repair a leak in water supply pipes, but their oxygen supply ran out, Benguet police chief Senior Superintendent Moro Lazo said.
One miner managed to crawl out of the tunnel and survived but his two companions died. Their bodies were retrieved four hours later, Lazo said.
The accident happened despite efforts by authorities to closely monitor operations of small gold mining outfits in Benguet, about 250 kilometers north of Manila, to ensure safety and avoid damage to the environment. (AP) |
