Four miners die in South Cotabato landslide

Four miners died on Saturday in South Cotabato when the tunnel they were in collapsed due to a heavy downpour. A spokesman for the Army's 10th Infantry Division said that two others were rescued by a search and rescue team that rushed to the scene shortly after the landslide. Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza said the incident occurred at around 12:20 p.m. at Sitio Datal Mangisi, Pula Bato village in Tampakan town, triggered by heavy rains over the past few days. Paniza said that the landslide took place in an "exploration area" that is believed to be rich in copper and gold deposits. Exploration of the area is being conducted by Swiss company Xstrata and its local partner, Sagittarius Mines Inc. Paniza also said that soldiers and civilian rescuers made it to the scene two hours later, saving miners Quintin Malid and Pael Dok. Two of the dead miners were identified as Remy Daway and Kimram Bayuri. As of 5 p.m Saturday, Paniza said rains were still pouring in the area. Last Wednesday, three people died in a landslide, also triggered by heavy rains, at the T'boli Mining Company. — TJD, GMA News