10 injured in another Zamboanga firecracker Explosion

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Ten people, including police and Marine officers, were injured when a pile of firecrackers and pyrotechnics materials set for disposal exploded in this city yesterday afternoon.

The massive explosion occurred at past 5 p.m. in a vacant lot located near the camp of the Marines and command center of the city disaster risk reduction and management office in Barangay Cabantangan.

The firecrackers and pyrotechnics were remnants of the same explosives recovered from a warehouse in Barangay Tetuan that exploded on June 29.

The explosion left five people dead and 21 others injured.

A team of police and Marine officers were preparing to disposed of the firecrackers and pyrotechnics when the pile exploded.

Initial reports said among those injured were members of the Explosive Ordnance and Disposal units of the police and the Marines, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Philippine Coast Guard.

The explosion was so powerful, it destroyed several vehicles parked nearby. It also caused damage to buildings and residential structures.

A monitoring center of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology located some two kilometers away from the scene of the explosion recorded an Intensity 2 movement of the ground.

Those injured were rushed to different hospitals for treatment. They have yet to be identified.

Rescue teams from the police, military, BFP and civilian volunteers searched the area for more victims.

Authorities cordoned off the area as a secondary explosion could possibly follow

Earlier, the city police informed residents that a controlled disposal of firecrackers and pyrotechnics would be conducted in the area.