2 Itogon miners die of gas poisoning in tunnel

ITOGON, Benguet – Two small scale miners died of gas poisoning inside a tunnel here at the Baguio Gold area in Barangay Tuding around 7 a.m. Tuesday.

A police report identified victims as Edgar Campus Santos, 29, of Purok 3, Bantug-Petines, Alicia, Isabela, and Jordan Lindayo Cortez, 25, of Paracelis, Mt. Province. Both were Tuding residents.

Investigation disclosed the victims entered the mine tunnel of a certain Fred Segundo around 7 a.m.

Their co-worker named as Julio Palua noticed the two failed to come out from the tunnel until 4 p.m. of same date that prompted him and his co-workers to look for the two inside the tunnel.

The lifeless bodies of the victims were recovered around 150 meters deep in the tunnel and were brought out at about 7 p.m.

Their bodies were brought to Benguet Corp. field office in Tuding around 12 midnight of Dec. 16.

At press time, the cadaver of Jordan Cortez was due to be transported by his relatives to Paracelis, while that of was brought to the Cordillera Funeral Homes for relatives from Isabela province to claim.