Locals believe that a bizarre smoking cave could heal deadly diseases such as Covid-19 and cancer in the Philippines.

The underground cave named Oco emits a warm smoky mist like a giant sauna bath that smells of rotten eggs in Dauin, Negros Oriental province.

After superstitious residents claimed that the ‘miracle cave’ cured their illnesses, hopeful tourists from other provinces began flocking to it.

Now, long queues of people could be seen outside the cave’s mouth, patiently waiting for their five minutes of stay inside the cave.

Tour guide Jac Senagan said he had a neighbour who has been healed of the disease after walking down the cave to inhale the smoke everyday.

He said: ‘I believed in the ability of the cave. A lot of my neighbours who had diseases such as Covid-19 symptoms have been healed.’

Philippine Dermatological Society official Zharlah Gulmatico Flores said that the rotten egg smell coming from the cave could be sulfur.

She said: ‘There are some medications that have sulfur content because it has a role in antifungal and antibacterial. It could be safe if done moderately like once a month.

‘We don’t know how much sulfur concentration was coming out of the vents so it should be checked by local officials.’

However, residents claimed that the cave could not only heal skin diseases but it was also effective against Covid-19 and cancer.

While waiting for experts to check on the cave, local officials could only help maintain social distancing in the area as it was inside a private property.