Five treasure hunters died of suffocation Wednesday after inhaling gasoline fumes inside a 60-feet-deep excavation in Limay town in Bataan province, a police report said.
The report identified the victims as Anghelito Mariano Sr., 42 years old, and his son Anghelito Jr., 22; Vener Bermillo, 25; Luisito Caparas, 48; and Richard del Pilar, 30.
The incident was brought to the attention of the police by Jonalyn Mariano, widow of Anghelito Sr.
According to the account of survivor Pedro Mariano, the five stopped responding to his call several minutes after they went down the excavation at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday for a digging operation.
He said this was when he asked his daughter, Jonalyn, to seek assistance from the police.
Investigators discovered the presence of a gasoline-operated water pump inside the hole, the police report said.
“The said gasoline-fed engine water pump produce[d] carbon monoxide [that was] presumed [to be] inhaled by the said victims and believed [to have] caused them all to fell unconscious," it added.
Rescuers successfully retrieved the bodies of the victims and brought them to Limay Community Health Center where they were declared dead on arrival.
A report over GMA News' "24 Oras" said the rescue operations lasted for six hours.
The television report said the victims were looking for gold when the incident happened. —KBK
