Two suffocate to death in RP

Two suffocate to death in RP

MANILA (AFP): Two Filipino employees suffocated to death yesterday in the hold of a power barge anchored off a suburb of the Philippine capital, an official of the company that owns the barge said.

Jose Reyes, vice-president of East Asia Power Corp., a Filipino-owned firm, said the two were part of a five-man team which went into the hold of the 52-megawatt barge for a regular check.

Another team later discovered the five, all unconscious. They were rushed to the hospital where two were pronounced dead. The other three were revived but remain at the hospital. The company would not release the names of the victims.

Reyes said he did not know why the five were stricken, noting that they had been doing similar checks before with no ill effects on the barge, which is powered by bunker fuel.