By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A miner died due to suffocation inside an excavated tunnel at Barangay Talacagay in Negros Occidental’s Hinoba-an town on Tuesday, January 9.
Authorities identified the fatality as 42-year-old Ignacio Ortega, a resident of Toboso town.
Hinoba-an police chief, Major Jaynick Bermudez, said at around 10:00 a.m., Ortega entered the tunnel he excavated at Sitio Arum, along with his cousin, but the latter exited a few minutes later.
The excavation was believed to be around 20 meters deep, police said.
His cousin returned inside the tunnel two hours later, where he found Ortega unresponsive.
Ortega was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Bermudez believed that Ortega may have run out of oxygen while working inside the tunnel and subsequently suffocated.
His remains will undergo autopsy to confirm if he suffered from suffocation, as initial examination revealed that the victim had no visible injuries./DGB, WDJ