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SHAME, IT LOOKS SAD, LIKE IT KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN: This a black pig photographed in Vietnam. Image: en.wikipedia.org

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A miner in the Philippines who was trapped underground for a week after several attempts to rescue him failed was finally pulled to safety on Friday, an official said, following a traditional animal sacrifice.

Felipe Pilmaco, a small-scale miner in the mountainous Benguet region, was trapped when the narrow tunnel he excavated collapsed on him, said regional police official Superintendent Mario Mayam-es.

He survived on supplies passed through a metal pipe and communicated using a mobile phone that was sent to him, but when rescuers tried to dig him out more dirt would fall and block the tunnel, said Mayam-es.

Finally, the rescuers performed a ritual sacrifice of a black pig to the local tribal mountain god, ‘Kabunian’ and were able to save Pilmaco.

Doctors said the miner, who celebrated his 33rd birthday underground on Tuesday, was suffering abrasions and some infections but was otherwise alright.

Benguet governor Nestor Fongwan, who oversaw the rescue efforts, hailed the recovery of Pilmaco but also said he would call an investigation into illegal small-scale mining in the area.

Numerous small-scale miners in the northern Philippines have been digging in search of gold for years, despite the risk of cave-ins and flooding.

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Mon May 20 19:59:30 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 10, 2012

Papage

Did they eat the black pick or what?
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Aug 10, 2012

MommaC

LOL
Racists :)
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Aug 10, 2012

Beer

WHO CARES
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Aug 12, 2012

Flemza

this is animal cruelity where is SPA
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Aug 15, 2012

CYBORICO

@Flemza
go hug a tree u chump, u sound like those extremist who misinterprete everything
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Feb 23, 2013

janemimy

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD HEART BUT JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL am miss Jane janebabyshow@yahoo.com because i really have some vital thing to tell you if you do not mind Thanks as i will be waiting to hear from you
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