ZAMBOANGA CITY. A powerful explosion of confiscated illegal fireworks injured at least 27 people, including 19 police and government personnel, in Zamboanga on Monday afternoon. The blast caused extensive damage to nearby houses, hotels, and even the international airport, officials reported on Tuesday.
Two victims are in serious condition at a hospital in Zamboanga, prompting Mayor John Dalipe to launch an investigation into the incident. The explosion occurred during a planned controlled detonation by police ordnance experts near a marine firing range.
Police were piling the fireworks, which had been doused with water, for a controlled detonation when the large heap unexpectedly exploded. The blast shattered glass windows up to three kilometers (nearly two miles) away, according to officials and witnesses.
The passenger terminal at Zamboanga International Airport, located about two kilometers (more than a mile) from the explosion site, sustained minor damage. However, no injuries or flight delays were reported, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The fireworks had been confiscated from a warehouse in Zamboanga City, where an accidental explosion on June 29 killed five people and injured several others. Authorities had conducted two previous controlled destructions of the fireworks without incident.
As the investigation unfolds, Zamboanga officials aim to understand why the controlled destruction went awry and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
