BOCAUE, Bulacan—A massive explosion in a fireworks store on the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Biñang 1 here on Wednesday left at least 2 persons dead and scores injured.
According to Senior Insp. Renante Batchine of the Bocaue Fire Department the fatality was charred beyond recognition owing to the ensuing fire that was raised up to the fourth alarm, meaning that firetrucks from nearby towns had to be called in before it was finally declared under control at around noontime.
Batchine said the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, but he could not yet ascertain the exact figure of the wounded because explosions are still being heard, preventing firemen from entering the building as of press time.
He said the explosion happened in a fireworks store in the vicinity of a commercial area, but the fire quickly spread to three other adjoining fireworks stores. The fire chief said a post from one of the stores was strewn about 50 meters from the site of the explosion.
Mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna said the busy MacArthur Highway has to be closed to traffic for some three hours owing to the magnitude of the explosion, which damaged at least four vehicles—a closed van that was blown away and landed on on its side, a truck that was also blown away, a jeepney that sustained significant fire damage and a Hyundai Starex van that was also gutted by fire—to be scattered on the highway.
However, Tugna said at around 12:30 p.m., one lane of the MacArthur Highway was already opened to traffic.
The mayor said the explosion was so big that it even affected what she described as “a rice-mill store” across the highway in front of the fireworks stores. She added that around 60-meter radius
from the explosion was affected by the blast.
Fire authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the explosion as of press time.