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Thursday, January 02, 2003
Nine killed, 32 injured in Tacurong blast
COTABATO -- The death toll in a New Year's Eve grenade attack in the Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat has climbed to nine, with 32 others injured, the military said Wednesday.
A manhunt has been launched for the lone perpetrator who lobbed the fragmentation grenade into a row of stalls selling firecrackers on Tuesday night, setting off a series of explosions that led to the casualties in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, Army spokesman Captain Onting Alon said.
Initial police reports after the blast had placed the number of deaths at six and seven other wounded.
"So far no one has claimed responsibility and the number of fatalities may still increase because many of the 32 injured are in serious condition," Alon said.
In Tuesday dawn, a two-year old girl was killed and her parents seriously wounded when a pillbox bomb was lobbed outside their home in a barangay in General Santos City.
Cherrie Mae Baja, 2, died a few hours after being treated at the St. Elizabeth Hospital for shrapnel wounds.
Her parents, Jimmy and Lolita, are in critical condition in the same hospital.
Police said they were looking for a man believed to be responsible for tossing the grenade near the Bajas home in Purok 6, Lanton, Barangay Apopong.
The motive however has not been established, said city police chief George Aquisap.
The Bajas, who just arrived from a vacation in Cebu City, were about to enter their house at around 1:30 a.m. when a pillbox was lobbed at them.
Police said they have yet to determine the suspect's identity or his motive.
Meanwhile, the number of firecracker-related injuries this year has fallen by almost 50 percent from last year's figure of 502, national police deputy director for operations Vidal Querol said.
"We were able to reduce the number of injuries to firecrackers by almost one half. That is a big achievement," Querol said over DZBB radio.
He said there had also been no complaints against police officers indiscriminately firing their guns into the air to usher in the New
Year. Last year, seven policemen were dismissed from the force for firing their guns.
Last year, three people were killed and 502 others were injured by firecrackers and stray bullets in New Year celebrations in the Philippines. (Sunnex/AFP) |
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