Seven men found dead in Benguet mine tunnel; gas poisoning suspected

Seven men were discovered dead inside a mine tunnel in Itogon, a mining town in Benguet province, in what authorities are treating as a possible gas poisoning incident. The Itogon Municipal Police Station reported that the discovery was made at a site in Sitio Dalicno, with indications suggesting the deaths may have occurred on September 30.

Three of the seven victims were teenagers, barely past their twentieth year, according to police records. The exact identities and circumstances leading to their entry into the tunnel remain under investigation.

Police have not ruled out accidental gas exposure as the cause of death, a hazard commonly associated with informal and artisanal mining operations in the region. The Philippines has long grappled with safety concerns in small-scale mining activities, where inadequate ventilation and lack of proper safety equipment pose significant risks to workers.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the precise cause of death and whether the incident involved illegal mining operations. The case highlights ongoing concerns about worker safety in Benguet's mining sector, a region with a long history of both formal and informal mining activities.