Two men allegedly died of suffocation while removing the contents of a septic tank at an eatery in Opol, Misamis Oriental.

Police said one of the two men entered the septic tank first to check why it was clogged. The other man went after him when he shouted that his head was aching.

However, the two of them reportedly got weak that they could no longer climb back out.

“Pagsulod niya sa septic tank, base sa iyang mga kauban, nisinggit daw siya nga labad kaayo iyang ulo kay naglisod na siya ug ginhawa… kato sad isa nga namatay, si Mansigyao, dali-dali ug tabang sa iya… pagsulod ni Manuel, imbes iyang luwason to si Alemar nga una nisulod, dili na sila kabalik og saka kay naluya na sila tungod na suffocate na sila,” Opol Municipal Police Station Invetigator, Jeffrey Abellanosa, said.

The brother of one of the two men reportedly tried to help but personnel of the eatery prevented him from doing so.

Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) eventually pulled the two men out of the tank but the two did not make it to the Rural Health Center alive.

The family of the two men reportedly will not press charges.

Abellanosa said those siphoning contents from a septic tank should not enter the tank because doing so is dangerous.

“Kanang magsuyop og septic tank, likayan gyud nato ang pagsulod sa septic tank kay delikado gyud ni base pa sa atong municipal doctor,” Abellanosa said.