BOCAUE, Bulacan—A stockpile of fireworks and pyrotechnics chemicals exploded early dawn Thursday in Barangay Bundukan here injuring 19 people and damaging residential houses within a 100-meter radius.
The blast was so powerful that it awakened residents in the nearby towns of Sta.Maria and Marilao.
Former Manila Standard proof-reader Ramon Lazaro, who resides at the Bocaue Poblacion, said they were about three barangays away from the epicenter of the blast and heard the “atomic-like” explosion.
The blast caused a massive fire in the residential area, and was put under control three hours later.
Bocaue municipal disaster risk reduction management officer Rodante Galvez said no casualties were reported in the conflagration, but four persons were taken to the Villanueva Hospital in Bocaue for medical treatments due to the wounds from the explosion.
Ret. Col. Manuel Lukban Jr., provincial disaster risk reduction management officer of Bulacan, said the fire started past 2 a.m., reaching the second alarm level and was declared fire out around shortly after 5 a.m.
Based on account of residents, there were sparks from electrical wirings outside the fireworks warehouse owned by one Nenita Oprecio, a licensed firecracker manufacturer.
Bocaue police chief, Lt. Col. Ronnie Pascua, said Oprecio was a legitimate owner of a fireworks store in Bocaue, but stockpiling her products in a residential area was prohibited.
Police and fire probers have cordoned off the explosion site while affected residents were temporarily housed at the covered court in the village.
Several cars, tricycles and dozens of motorbikes were damaged beyond repair. Properties worth millions of pesos were lost as almost all the roofs in the barangay were shattered.