1 dead, 8 injured in Bulacan firecracker blast

MALOLOS CITY , Philippines – A 54-year-old woman was killed while eight others suffered injuries during an explosion in a firecracker warehouse in Angat, Bulacan last Monday night.

The fatality, Linda Reyes, was killed when a concrete wall of the warehouse collapsed on her after the blast in Sitio Tugatog, Barangay Marungko, Angat town. She was proclaimed dead on arrival at the Norzagaray Municipal Hospital.

Those injured were identified as Edgardo Padua, 17; Gena Biracal, 33; Juvilyn Alvarez, 16; Julia Aspe, 30; Wiwi Lorenzo, 33; and Angelita Dizo, 45, all living near the firecracker warehouse. They were rushed to the Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos City.

Also injured were firecracker makers Angelito, 36, and Alejandro, 30, both surnamed Cruz, who were brought to the Rogaciano Mercado Memorial District Hospital in Sta. Maria town.

Police said the explosion started when a firecracker fuse being cut by Angelito sparked at around 6:20 p.m. Monday.

The blast ripped through the house where firecrackers were stored, causing its walls to collapse and damaging adjoining houses and shanties.

Police said the owners of the warehouse, Allan and Beverly Sarmiento, will be charged for illegally manufacturing and storing pyrotechnic products.

The Bulacan Provincial Pyrotechnics Regulatory Board (BPPRB) and the provincial government have called on the police to intensify their campaign against illegal firecracker makers.

Jeremias Caguingin of the BPPRB said safety must be observed at all times in the manufacture of pyrotechnics, as it involves explosive materials.

He said the BPPRB has been campaigning for a more scientific and professional production of pyrotechnic products, as initiated by the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association Inc. (PPMDAI).

The PPMDAI, together with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, the Department of Science and Technology, BPPRB and the provincial government, formulated competency tests for pyrotechnic makers and technicians two years ago. –Dino Balabo (The Philippine Star)