Zamboanga firecracker blast victims now 27

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The number of victims injured in a recent massive explosion caused by a pile of firecrackers and pyrotechnics in Zamboanga City has increased to 27.

Among the victims are members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units of the Philippine National Police, the Marines, Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fire Protection as well as seven civilians.

Twenty of the victims, including the civilians, have been discharged after receiving treatment for burns. The rest remain in the hospital due to serious injuries.

The explosion, the second in the city within 10 days, occurred at 5:30 p.m. near the firing range of the Marines in Barangay Cabantangan, according to Lt. Col. Helen Galvez, spokesperson for the Zamboanga peninsula police.

The firecrackers and pyrotechnics were remnants of the same materials recovered following the June 29 explosion in nearby Barangay Tetuan that killed five people.

Earlier, the Zamboanga City council called for the repeal of an amended ordinance that allowed the sale and controlled use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

A previous ordinance imposed a total ban on firecrackers and pyrotechnics from 2013 to 2023.

Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey Masauding, Zamboanga peninsula police director, ordered a thorough investigation of the incident, which occurred as the EOD joint team was preparing to dispose of the firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

“The process resulted in an explosion that injured 20 uniformed members of the disposal team and seven civilians,” Galvez said.

The explosion damaged vehicles of the police and military as well as a fire truck parked in the area.

The shockwave of the explosion damaged nearby houses and establishments.It was felt at the Zamboanga International Airport located two kilometers away from the blast site, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

The CAAP said some areas at the airport’s check-in counter sustained damage.

Galvez said authorities have yet to assess the amount of damage caused by the explosion. — Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos