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Thursday, October 25, 2007
Ayala Land says ‘gas explosion’ theory of PNP unlikely
MANILA –- Ayala Land Incorporated (ALI) said Wednesday methane gas was not likely the cause of last Friday’s deadly blast in Makati’s financial district that killed 11 people and wounded more than a hundred others.
The claim of ALI president and chief executive officer Jaime Ayala got a boost from a prominent University of the Philippines (UP) chemist who debunked the “gas leak” theory advanced by the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the likely cause of the massive blast.
Post your comments on the explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City.
But police investigators clarified that their findings leading to an industrial explosion theory was based on the evidence gathered from the site while Ayala’s claim were mere experts’ opinion.
Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman, head of multi-agency task force investigating the Glorietta 2 blast, said their investigation is ongoing and they are still pursuing other angles like a possible sabotage or terrorist attack, despite focusing more on the accidental theory.
Ticman said their investigators were at the site since Day 1 and what they are presenting are factual compared to the statement of the Ayala officials, which may just even be their opinion.
“Ayala’s claim that the incident was not an accident is their opinion only. I would like to point out that what we are presenting is not a conclusion but results of the investigation, our findings that there is nothing to suggest that this was caused by a bomb explosion because there is no evidence,” he said.
Quoting a report of the technical team tasked by ALI to conduct its own probe on explosion, Ayala said there was nothing wrong with the mall’s sewerage system prior to the blast contradicting the opinion of the authorities that there was a leak that had to be repaired.
“Results of the technical study showed there could not have been an accumulation of high methane gas levels in the mall’s basement since wastes coming from the mall stays in the sump pit for less than 24 hours,” Ayala said in a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati.
Ayala said the technical team found no likely errors as to result to such a massive blast.
"There is constant flow of mainly liquid wastewater from toilets into sump pit and onto city sewer. Wastewater entering the pit stays in pit for less than 24 hours. The usual decomposition process brought about by large amounts of solid matter in house septic tanks does not occur in this pit," Ayala said, reading from results of the company’s technical team study.
Ayala also said there were no "reports or observations by maintenance personnel of any aberrations to the diesel tank," noting that the diesel fuel tank was last used during the last power outage in June.
He also noted that the basement is well-ventilated.
But police investigators said they discovered that there was no functioning ventilation and no exhaust system, which contributes to the increase in temperature and accumulation of diesel vapor/fumes; there were open switches, motor pumps, batteries and other possible igniters; and that the vent of explosion clearly showed strong upward push which characterize gas explosion.
Ticman said their gas explosion angle is supported by the upward ruptures and damage on the diesel tank, the concave concrete slab directly above the diesel tank, and the presence of septic tanks and wastewater treatment facilities that produce methane.
However, Ayala said the diesel fuel tank has approximately 14,000 liters capacity but has only 6,000 liters due to last June’s power outage.
He added that the flash point of diesel contained is 72 degrees Celsius and auto ignition temperature is 220 degrees Celsius, saying that the ambient room temperature before the time of explosion was estimated 28-30 degrees Celsius.
But National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Geary Barias said inspection at the basement of the mall showed that it “did not follow the standard cylindrical structure” for fuel tanks.
Barias said the fuel tanks, which reportedly contained more than 8,000 liters of diesel were “rectangular” and were not probably evenly distributed causing the explosion.
Ayala in the same press conference also explained the a regular pick-up and clean-up of the grease trap, which separates grease from wastewater entering the sump pit, was maintained and that grease is extracted daily to every morning.
He said there are 2-types of sump pit -- the kitchen sump pit where wastewater from the kitchens of five restaurants in Glorietta 2 enters the sump pit where a grease trap separates grease from water and was also extracted daily, and the waste sump pit, where the wastewater from the toilets in the portion of G2 is dumped.
He explained further that the wastewater from the kitchen sump pit was pumped out to the main city sewer line automatically while the waste sump pit seldom contained solid wastes due to the nature of customer use of toilets in the restaurants, which was also pumped out to the street sewer by a sump pump.
“Therefore, there is constant flow of mainly liquid wastewater from the toilets into the sump pit and on to the city sewer. Wastewater entering the sump pit stays in the sump pit for less than 24 hours. The usual decomposition process brought about by large amounts of solid matter in house septic tanks does not occur in this commercial sump pit,” Ayala claimed citing the study conducted by the technical team.
He added that their technical team recently began compiling relevant information and already submitted an initial report to the company on the evening of Tuesday.
Ayala said they have furnished the PNP with additional technical information that would be helpful to the ongoing investigation, particularly with respect to the basement area, which was recently reported to have caused the deadly explosion.
Ticman asked the Ayala officials to instead furnish the Task Force a copy of their own findings to compare it with their own results and that of the foreign and local experts that are helping in the investigations.
Ticman said they are also inviting the experts from the UP to join them in their inspection and investigations instead of criticizing or questioning their findings.
He said the PNP had earlier asked the UP experts to join them but so far they have not turned up.
“I'm talking about the evidence (here)…They (UP experts) have no findings. I have not seen any findings. They are just saying that it's not possible. But the experts we're talking with are saying that it's possible. Our experts who are on board have inspected the area, they have seen the evidences we have,” he said.
Ticman added that despite their initial findings, they continue to investigate, conduct further studies, and consult other people, until they have ascertained that they have found out the truth and there are no more questions or doubts on the reason and cause of the explosion.
At the same time, Ayala said they are ready to face charges from the families of the victims of last Friday’s explosion.
“We are ready to face the consequences of the tragedy if the result of the PNP investigation points to the company’s negligence. Ayala Land has always done the right thing. We are ready whatever actions we have to take,” Ayala said, adding that most of their efforts have been focused in assisting the victims and securing the safety of their premises and patrons.
He also said they are waiting for the results of investigations conducted by local authorities and foreign experts before it makes a final assessment on the mall explosion.
Asked if they are prepared to charge anyone, regardless if it is from Ayala or even from the Makati City government, if proven that the blast was an accident, Ticman said: “Of course, kung talagang magiging ang kalalabasan nito ay iyung gas explosion…Kung kinakailangan, at kung iyan ang ating findings, why not?”
“Kailangang suriin kung mayroong naging kapabayaan, kung sino man at aling organization. So iyan ay pinagaaralan na rin ng ating ibang counterparts sa ibang agencies ng government helping us in the investigation,” he added.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol, in a separate interview, said city engineers and officials of Makati maybe liable for negligence aside from the mall owners if it is really proven that it was a gas explosion.
Dr. Ernesto dela Cruz, chairman of the UP Chemical Engineering Department, said in a radio interview that it was highly improbable that diesel fumes caused the explosion, contrary to the theory being pursued by police investigators.
Dela Cruz said it was almost impossible to have an accumulation of diesel fumes in the mall basement, saying diesel will not evaporate until it reaches the temperature of 210 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than boiling water.
Director Barias said there was a high probability that the Friday explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall was an accident though a bomb attack was not ruled out totally.
Barias said post-blast probers also failed to recover evidence that will indicate the blast was caused by a bomb.
He said aside from the failure to recover triggering devices, power source, and traces of explosives the investigators also found no crater at the blast site.
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said there is a strong possibility that the explosion was caused by “underground structures” at Glorietta, including the diesel depot, and the presence of a methane gas concentration that could have abetted the blast. (JMR/AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (October 25, 2007 issue)
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