Three miners died of suffocation in a small-scale gold mining operation in Loreto, Agusan del Sur.
The victims were Dennis Pegaredo, 27, and Kenneth Kier Mayuga, 18, and a 15-year-old boy, as police identified.
According to investigations, Pegaredo was digging inside the tunnel in Barangay Sta. Teresa when he smelled gas and had difficulty in breathing, according to a report.
The other two victims tried to help Pegaredo, but they too suffered difficulty in breathing.
The three victims were declared dead on arrival at the Loreto District Hospital.
