Car's gas tank explodes at Quezon City repair shop

MANILA, Philippines - A gas tank of an Asian utility vehicle exploded while undergoing repair at a small shop in Quezon City yesterday afternoon, severely injuring a man who was just helping out at the shop.

The explosion tore the flesh in the right hand and right leg of Arsenio Cambal Jr., 31, said Superintendent Jesus Balingasa Jr., commander of the Quezon City Police District-Station 2.

According to Balingasa, Cambal was still undergoing surgery at the East Avenue Medical Center as of yesterday afternoon.

Cambal’s companion, welder Leo Monchadora, was unhurt, the police official noted.

Balingasa said the two men were using an acetylene torch to fix a leak in the car’s gas tank when the explosion occurred at around 2:15 p.m.

He said the two men emptied the gas tank before they started fixing the leak, but apparently not all the fuel was removed from the tank, causing the explosion.

Balingasa said there was no reported damage in the shop, located along Agham Road in Barangay Pag-asa. – Reinir Padua