Monday, January 01, 2007 1 killed, 4 hurt in firecrackers blast By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
DAGUPAN CITY -- A 29-year-old man was killed while four others, including two children, were injured in a firecrackers explosion that rocked Barangay Bacayao Norte here on Friday.
The fatality was identified as Melanio Orit, who sustained third degree burns on the body.
Those injured were Marivic Ricalde, her children Joshua, 4, and a five-month-old Jasmin, and a passerby Juanito Flores. They were all brought to the Villaflor Hospital for treatment.
Dagupan Fire Marshal Armando Fernandez said the blast originated from the house of one Charlie Bonaobra who earlier denied manufacturing firecrackers. He said the explosion also caused a fire that hit two houses nearby.
A report said Orit's body was found beside a sack of potassium nitrate that prompted fire investigators to believe that the victim was packing firecrackers when the explosion happened.
Fernandez said the victim could have been pounding on something when it created a spark that ignited the chemical.
Due to the strong impact, the explosion hit Ricalde and her children who were inside their house situated near the blast site, and Flores, who was passing by the area.
"When the fire broke out, the residents nearby were dragging out of their houses and saving not their belongings but firecracker chemicals," Fernandez disclosed.
He said almost all the residents in the explosion site are into illegal manufacture of firecrackers and they are packing the items inside their houses to avoid being detected by roving inspection teams.
Meantime, Police Regional Director Leopoldo Bataoil said they confiscated 127 pieces of "boga" (a bazooka-looking PVC pipe) as of Saturday afternoon. He said 69 pieces were seized in Pangasinan, 19 in La Union, 31 in Ilocos Sur, and 31 in Ilocos Norte.
"Boga is being used for merrymaking. However, this had been banned as it poses danger to public safety and public health, under the doctrine of summary abatement of nuisance. It did not pass through government standard regulatory quality control and often used by minors without supervision by adults," Bataoil said. (Sunnex)
