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Friday, September 12, 2003
Bomb in airport training explodes; 6 hurt
MANILA -- Six people were injured Thursday when a display bomb went off during a security briefing to teach Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) staff how to guard against bombing attempts, officials said.
"It was an accident," said Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Edgar Manda.
Two aviation policemen were seriously injured while four airport employees suffered superficial injuries in the explosion, which ripped through a seminar room in the fourth floor of the aviation administration building near the Manila airport passenger terminal.
The policemen were showing about 50 airport employees the types of bombs, grenades and explosive devices they might encounter when one of the homemade bombs went off, said Angel Atutubo, airport assistant general manager for security and emergency services.
It was not clear why the device exploded.
Airport officials did not identify the officer who was hurt in the incident but said he was immediately brought to the hospital.
The airport media affairs office said in a statement that employees regularly go through seminars on bomb detection as part of stepped up security measures in NAIA.
The blast came a few days after MIAA assistant general manager Lilia Diaz was killed and amid Manda's admission that the slain airport official had been receiving death threats.
Also just recently, security at the airport was ordered tightened ahead of the second anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Authorities have also been on the watch for any bombing attempts following recent deadly terrorist blasts elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Miko Santos/(AFP)
(September 12, 2003 issue) |
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