TWO MINERS died of gas poisoning on August 14 at about 11:30 in the evening in Antamok, Itogon, Benguet.
Itogon Municipal Police Station investigators identified the victim as 22–year- old Astrid Guitelen and 23–year-old Jomar Lay-os, both single and residents of Ucab, Itogon.
The two entered their tunnel at level 070 Antamok at around 5 p.m. to fix their mine blower. They failed to come out after four hours, prompting their companions to follow.
The two miners were found approximately 200 meters from the entrance lying on the ground and were rushed to the Baguio General Hospital. Both were declared dead on arrival.
To recall, two small-scale miners also died on July 24 at Ud-udan Ampucao, Itogon in Benguet after experiencing gas poisoning inside their adits.
Gas is formed inside the tunnel and if not flushed out,
The Office of the Civil Defense in the Cordillera earlier suspended pocket mining activities while Benguet reminded small scale miners of the existing memorandum to halt small-scale mining activities during onslaught of rains.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau also recommended that miners stop their operations during rainy season and advised miners to leave their camps.