ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP) — Officials say days of rain set off a landslide that killed three villagers in a remote gold-mining community in the southern Philippines.
Arturo Uy, governor of Compostela Valley province, says four other villagers were injured in Tuesday's accident in New Bataan township.
He said Thursday that rescuers endured several hours of hiking through harsh hinterlands to bring the victims' bodies down from the mountainous region.
Despite the danger, thousands of poor villagers have dug for gold in narrow, dangerous shafts in far-flung villages in Compostela Valley, about 580 miles (930 kilometers) southeast of Manila.
Many have ignored warnings against illegal mining. Some say they would rather perish in accidents than die of hunger.
