Gas poisoning kills 2, hurts 2 in Talisay City

CEBU, Philippines - Two people died while two others were hospitalized because of alleged gas poisoning yesterday afternoon in Talisay City.

Cousins Brendon Cabanes, 26, and Romeo Cabanes, 27, residents of Barangays Tanke and Tabunok, respectively, died while cleaning the drainage at the old Tabunok Public Market.

Those who landed at the Talisay City District Hospital were Wilson Campo, 26, and Lemuel Macaraya, 30, both residents of Sitio Mananga, Barangay Tabunok.

The victims, who were hired by the Talisay City government to clean the drainage, were believed to have inhaled the poisonous methane gas produced by the rotten garbage. 

FO3 Guiller Pegarido, who investigated the incident, told The FREEMAN that Brendon got dizzy and drowned in the muddy water after becoming unconscious while cleaning the drainage because of the gas inhalation.

While trying to rescue his cousin, Romeo slid and also fell into the drainage hitting his head in hard object and lost consciousness.

Campo and Macaraya immediately got a rope supposedly to rescue the victims but the two were also suffocated. They were rushed to the hospital by Councilor Danny Caballero.

Pegarido explained that rotten garbage produces toxic gases like methane gas which can be lethal if inhaled. The 10-meter deep drainage that the victims were cleaning did not have ventilation which may have accumulated the poisonous gas.

City engineer Audie Bacasmas told The FREEMAN that the city government had been hiring the group of the victims for the past years to clean the drainage. They are paid P300 each per day.

According to Bacasmas, the victims had been working already for the past three weeks and are supposed to finish the work this week. Mayor Johnny delos Reyes promised to give assistance to the victims. (FREEMAN)