Two dead, five injured in Bulacan firecracker factory explosion; over 40 houses damaged

• A powerful blast at a firecracker factory in Norzagaray, Bulacan killed two people and injured five others
• One of the fatalities was a 15-year-old boy whose younger sibling had just been buried days earlier
• Around 45 houses were damaged by the explosion, which authorities suspect was caused by stored gunpowder
• Officials revealed the factory had no permit, and its owner is now facing multiple criminal charges

A deadly explosion ripped through a firecracker factory in Norzagaray, Bulacan on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring five others.

One of the victims was a 15-year-old boy who was sleeping at home when the blast occurred — while his family was mourning the recent death of his younger sibling.

According to a report by Mariz Umali on GMA News 24 Oras, the powerful explosion was so intense that several nearby houses caught fire.

“Yung pressure ng pagsabog, puwede pong mag-ano po sa tao, kahit sa mga physical structure ng buildings, puwede niyang gibain yung structure natin,” said F/Sr. Insp. Francis Rosales, the municipal fire marshal of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Norzagaray.

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Residents said they had long appealed to authorities to relocate the firecracker plant away from residential areas.

“Hindi naman po kami pinakikinggan… nilayo naman bahagya kaso hindi naman kalayuan,” lamented Danny Cañega, the grandfather of the teenage victim.

Cañega said his grandson was sleeping in a hammock when the blast hit.

“Nakatulog sa duyan eh biglang aksidenteng sumabog. Eh hindi na siya nakatakbo gawa nga na natutulog,” he recounted, adding that even the coffin of the child they were mourning was damaged by the explosion.

Another fatality was an unidentified worker at the factory. Several residents sustained injuries from flying debris and metal sheets. Authorities estimated that about 45 houses were affected.

Investigators suspect that stored gunpowder triggered the explosion. SFO3 Larry Gutierrez of the BFP confirmed the factory had no proper permit, and its owner is now being sought for multiple h&micide, injuries, and property damage complaints.

News, photos, or videos that arouse the interest of netizens would often go viral on social media, due to the attention netizens give them. These viral posts appeal to the emotions of netizens, and in rare cases, this could also happen to ordinary people, making them very relatable to one's daily life. These stories are among those that people would be able to learn from every day, and apply them in their own lives. Crimes that happen to ordinary people are also those that many give attention to.

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In other news, a 47-year-old woman was arrested in Quezon City on four separate warrants for Estafa (fraud) and violation of the Anti-Bouncing Check Law. Her alleged modus operandi involved purchasing millions of pesos worth of high-value goods, including jewelry and meat products, using worthless post-dated checks. One businessman claimed a loss of over P12 million, while another was allegedly swindled out of more than P17 million. The suspect is currently detained as authorities encourage other victims to file additional complaints to strengthen the case.

Still in other news, the Ombudsman directed the NBI and BFP to investigate the DPWH building fire in Quezon City. DPWH confirmed that no documents related to flood control anomaly investigations were affected. The fire reportedly started from a computer explosion inside the Bureau of Research and Standards. No employees were injured, and officials are assessing the extent of the damage.

Source: KAMI.com.gh