UPDATED: Five people were killed while two others sustained minor injuries following an explosion at an alleged illegal firecracker manufacturing facility in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, on Wednesday evening, November 4.
According to Malasiqui Chief of Police Lt. Col. Francisco Sawadan Jr., the facility was secretly operating inside an abandoned bakery situated in the middle of a field.
Authorities, including barangay officials, were reportedly unaware that the establishment had been converted into an illegal firecracker manufacturing site until it suddenly exploded.
The powerful blast scattered the victims' bodies, with four of them found burned to death at the scene.
Among the fatalities was a seven-year-old girl who was brought to the hospital but was declared dead. The other victims included a 15-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy whose body was found lodged in a malunggay tree, and two men aged 24 and 26.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old female owner of the alleged firecracker facility and a 13-year-old boy survived the incident, both sustaining minor injuries.
The explosion and ensuing fire also destroyed a two-month-old Toyota Hilux pickup truck, a tricycle, and a motorcycle.
Authorities are still determining the extent of the property damage as arson investigators continue their probe into the incident.
The investigation is also expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the facility's alleged illegal operations and the cause of the explosion.
(Details from RH Freddie Fajardo)
