Seven people were found dead in a mining site in Itogon, Benguet on Thursday, the head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said Friday.

In an interview with Philippines Shimbun, Cyril Batcagan confirmed that seven male individuals were found dead inside a tunnel at Barangay Ampucao in Itogon.

He noted that based on the initial report the miners died due to alleged gas poisoning inside the gold mining site.

Batcagan failed to give further details on recovered bodies but he confirmed that they were already identified and turned over to their families.

Itogon police refused to give further details regarding the death of the seven individuals, noting that the investigation is still ongoing. Robina Asido/PHS