KIBAWE, Bukidnon — What began as a quest for hidden fortune turned tragic when two treasure hunters lost their lives after being electrocuted inside a makeshift digging site in Purok 3, Barangay Marapangi, Kibawe, on the morning of August 27, 2025

KIBAWE, Bukidnon — What began as a quest for hidden fortune turned tragic when two treasure hunters lost their lives after being electrocuted inside a makeshift digging site in Purok 3, Barangay Marapangi, Kibawe, on the morning of August 27, 2025.

In her report, Police Captain Leonila R. Vicente, officer-in-charge of the Kibawe Municipal Police Station (KMPS), identified the victims as a 45-year-old resident of Purok 2, Barangay Migcawayan, Damulog, and a 47-year-old resident of Purok 3, Marapangi.

According to a witness, around 9:50 a.m., the men were inside their excavation pit, engaged in treasure-hunting activities, when tragedy struck.

A police investigation revealed that the electrically powered machine they were operating malfunctioned and became grounded through the cable connected to their improvised elevator, fatally electrocuting them on the spot.

Rescuers rushed both men to the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital in Kibawe, but despite efforts to revive them, the attending physician declared them dead shortly after arrival.

The grim accident comes just two days after another treasure-hunting mishap in Sitio Sawike, Barangay Patpat, Malitbog, where three seekers were buried by a landslide in the rugged mountains—claiming the lives of two.

These back-to-back tragedies cast a somber light on the perilous pursuits of hidden riches, reminding communities across Bukidnon of the dangers that lurk beneath the soil they seek to unearth. (melbmadera)