Four people died yesterday after suffocating from poisonous gas in an illegal gold mine in the central Quang Nam Province’s Nam Giang District.

The deaths occurred at 7pm when some seven miners were at the site in Dung Village of Thạnh My Town, Alang Mai, chairman of the People’s Committee of Nam Giang District, said.

Two people managed to escape while five others were trapped inside the tunnel.

Local authorities immediately deployed forces to rescue the trapped miners on receiving the information, the chairman said.

Many ambulances, medical staff and dozens of police personnel joined in rescue operations.

At about 2am today, the workers rescued one miner trapped in the tunnel.

The local police said they had identified the victims.

They include local resident Nguyen Kim Vui, 27, and Mong Van Hieu, Mong Van Son and Mong Van Nam, with Kho Mu ethnic minority, living in Sa Va Village of Bo Tham Commune in the central Nghe An Province’s Ky Son District.

Cut Van Dung, the miner who was rescued from the gold mine, lives in the Nghe An’s Ky Son District and is being treated at a general hospital in Quang Nam Province.

The two lucky miners who escaped are Va Ba Nhia, 23, and Cut Van Hoanh, 29. Both live in Nghe An Province.

The authorities in Nam Giang District have decided to give VNĐ5 million (US$220) each to the families of the deceased and VNĐ3 million ($130) to the injured.

The local authorities are communicating with the family members of the four deceased miners and will support the entire cost of bringing the bodies back home for burial.

According to Alang Mai, the tunnel, with a length of some 20m, was dug deep in the mountain.

The incident is being investigated.

VNS