5 killed in Cavite blast

By Ronron
November 9, 2007

Five people were killed, one is missing and five others were hurt after a big explosion rocked a private subdivision in Cavite province on Thursday afternoon, police said.

Sr. Supt. Fidel Posadas, Cavite Provincial Police commander, said the explosion happened 4:15 pm at a house on Block 2, Lot 25 Yakal Street, Sorrento Town Homes, Phase 5, Barangay Habay 1 in Bacoor town.

“There was an explosion of items used in illegal fishing,” Posadas said in a phone interview, adding that several pieces of blasting caps were recovered from the vicinity of the blast.

Chief Insp. Reynold Rosero, deputy chief of the Philippine Bomb Data Center, said they saw unconsumed blasting caps, safety fuse, booster, and detonating cord at the blast site during an inspection hours after the incident.

“These items may be used in quarrying, dynamite fishing,” Rosero said.

Posadas said two of the fatalities and two of those injured are residents of the said house.

The rest of the casualties are neighbors whose houses were affected by the blast, which residents describe as very loud it was heard and felt several hundred meters away.

Aside from the main house, the two adjacent houses were also totally destroyed, while seven others were partially damaged due to shockwave effect. The incident did not result to fire.

Posadas said police has taken into custody two men who are nephews of the house owner. The two were caught leaving the blast site, bringing along “residue of TNT and blasting caps.”

He said the two were charged initially before the prosecutor’s office with illegal possession of explosives and explosive components, although they may be charged later for the death and injuries caused by the blast.

“They are related with the owner of the house, and they actually came from the house where the blast happened,” Posadas said.

Nearby residents said the occupants of said house are seen sometimes bringing boxes inside the house and only claim that they are into the dried fish business.

“Based on our initial investigation, there is no indication that this is a terroristic act. It seems like related to illegal fishing,” Posadas said./DMS