16 hurt in Good Friday Batangas plant accident

BATANGAS – Sixteen factory workers were hospitalized after they were accidentally showered with a toxic chemical while inside a pipe at the Central Azucarera Don Pedro plant in Nasugbu town on Good Friday, police said.

Senior Supt. Omega Jireh Fidel, Batangas police director, identified the victims as Hernando Caraig, 54; Joemart Barrio, 18; Rommel Vecinal, 17; Edwin Sanchez, 32; Jason Caraig, 21; Avelino Malarayap, 54; Marvin Dela Cruz; Dexter Caraig, 21; Noriel Caraig, 27; Jeffrey Barion, 18; Albert Caraig, 31; Ariel Caraig, 28; Arnel Caraig, 31; Lester Caraig, 24; Leandro Caraig, 26; and Jun Unas, 33, all residents of Brgy. Putat, Nasugbu, Batangas.

According to reports, the maintenance workers were inside a huge steam pipe to clean its interior walls when the incident happened around 7 p.m.

Police said the inner portion of the pipe has two cylinders that sprinkle water and caustic soda simultaneously during a remote-controlled cleaning operation.

Witnesses said one of the workers, identified as Mario dela Cuesta, inadvertently turned on the valves of the sprinklers, showering the 16 people inside the pipe with toxic caustic soda.

All victims suffered burns in their faces and different parts of their bodies. They were rushed to the Western Batangas Medical Center in Balayan town for treatment.

Dela Cuesta escaped after the incident.

Police are still conducting an investigation, but they are now initially concluding that the incident was accidental. –Arnell Ozaeta, ABS-CBN News Southern Tagalog