At least 18 miners killed in Philippines tunnel blast

At least 18 miners were killed and dozens of others were feared dead following an explosion inside a gold mine in the southern Philippines, officials said today.

The Office of Civil Defence in Manila said at least 10 miners had been rescued following the blast late yesterday inside a mine operated by JB Management and Mining in the mountain village of Mount Diwata in Compostela Valley province.

Village chief Franco Tito said one survivor told him that a cache of dynamite ignited inside the tunnel about 10.20pm (3.20pm Irish time) yesterday.

Tito said mine officials refused to let local villagers and even police and soldiers to go inside their compound to help in the rescue.

He said they were able to count the bodies of 18 people brought out by vehicles from the compound.

He held out little hope of finding more survivors among about 50 people believed to have been inside the tunnel “because this is an explosion, not a tunnel collapse”.