7 hurt in LPG tank explosion

Seven persons including a five-year-old boy, were seriosuly injured after a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank exploded inside their house in Parañaque City yesterday morning.

Arson investigator Senior Fire Officer 4 Arturo Castro said the victims who suffered burns were immediately brought by neighbors to the Parañaque Community Hospital.

The victims were Roger Mejos, 45, his wife Rufina, 42, and their children Malou, 17, Mariz, 12, Malyn, 15, Roger Jr., 11, and Mark, 5, were hurt after the gas tank blew up inside their house at Sta. Cecilia St., San Antonio Valley 1.

Mariz and Malyn sustained first-degree burns in the back, face, hands and feet, while the others suffered third-degree burns in the different parts of the body. Mariz and Malyn are still confined at the Parañaque Community Hospital while their parents and siblings were transferred to the Philippine General Hospital for further treatment.

Initial investigation showed that the mother had just finished cooking using a mini-stove, and the father Roger decided to fix the LPG stove because it is often malfunctioning.

Castro said Roger was dismantling the parts of the mini-stove when the gas tank developed a leak and exploded.

The other family members who were standing a few meters away from Roger were burned by the flames from the explosion

Castro said the Mejos family lives in a small house in a squatters’ area in Barangay San Antonio Valley 1. To be able to support the needs of their children, the Mejos couple engaged in selling fish balls in the neighborhood.

He added the blast damaged a portion of the wall of the house and burned some of the victims’ clothes.