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1 dead, another in critical condition due to 'treasure hunting' activities in Bohol

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ABS-CBN News

Authorities are continuing their probe on a gas leak that left suffocated two men who were allegedly hunting for treasure in Barangay Can-upao, Jagna town, Bohol.One died from while the other was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition.Based on a cellphone video, neighbors and bystanders rushed to help the two victims who were experiencing difficulty in breathing.Police Maj. Joseph Lopena, chief of the Jagna Police Station said that one of the two men was manually drilling a hole that was 15 meters deep inside a house.“During this operation, he accidentally struck an object containing poisonous gas that led to an explosion within the hole,” said Lopena.They were allegedly looking for gold.The unidentified gas caused man inside the pit to collapse.His companion attempted to rescue him but also inhaled the gas which caused him to also collapse and fall into the pit.“After the poisonous gas had dissipated, concerned neighbors took the initiative to rescue the victims and were immediately transported to the nearest hospital,” Lopena added.The first victim was pronounced dead on arrival while the second one is still recuperating.The local government unit of Jagna has not issued any statement on the issue, as well as on the alleged presence of gold in their town.Based on Republic Act 7076, it is illegal to conduct small-scale mining without proper documentation such as a mining permit.Under the land classification of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Central Visayas, the sloping areas in Bohol at 90-100 percent, are already cliffs and fall under the forestland or timberland classification.Several illegal miners were also arrested in 2018 in the towns of Talibon and Trinidad due to the search for gold in the area.<div>- report from Annie Perez</div>

Police said one of the two men was manually drilling a hole that was 15 meters deep inside a house.