Miners killed after soil erosion incident

Three miners working in the south Philippines have been killed following a landslide, it has been reported.

The men were working as placer miners in Mindanao, gathering and cleaning minerals such as gold from rock faces in the area.

Along with several others, the three men were attempting to divert water from a creek during bad weather when rocks and soil were loosened, falling on top of them.

Rain often brings about landslides in the area, reported Inquirer.net and in September, one such incident resulted in the burying of a whole village and the deaths of 26 people in Maco.

In related developments, the first set of Chinese research to be published in 60 years concluded last month that the country's fertile south-west region is under threat from soil erosion.

Approximately 100 million people would lose their land if the problem continues its current pace, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.