5 dead, 38 hurt in firecracker depot blast

Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.

(UPDATE) FIVE people, including a 4-year-old child, were killed in a massive explosion at a pyrotechnics warehouse in Mindanao, emergency services said Sunday.

The Saturday afternoon blast at the Zamboanga City site tore a large hole in the ground, sent debris careening into nearby buildings and houses, and ignited a blaze, fire investigator Luigi Chan said.

Four warehouse workers and the 4-year-old son of one of the staffers were killed, Chan said.

The city disaster office confirmed the death toll and said another 38 people had been injured in the incident, eight of them seriously.

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

BLAST SITE Firemen carry the remains of one of the fatalities. PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Firemen and rescuers rush to the scene of a firecracker factory blast in Zamboanga City on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS BY ZAMBOANGA CITY DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT OFFICE

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Authorities said they were investigating the cause of the explosion, which created a 20-meter crater, dismantled the depot’s walls, and rained rubble on a nearby soft drinks factory, a grains and flour warehouse and area homes.

“The most probable origin of the fire is the pyrotechnics stored at the warehouse,” Chan said.

He said the blast radius extended more than 3,000 square meters, and it took firefighters more than two hours to bring the blaze under control.

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