Blast damages P199K in EOD properties

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Sunday morning explosion at the storage facility of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO)’s Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) damaged around P199,500 worth of properties.

Major Shella Mae Sangrines, ICPO spokesperson, said the blast damaged their supplies and equipment.

The assessment was based on the report submitted by the Regional Explosive Ordnance Division and Canine Unit-6.

“The cost of damage didn’t include the destruction on the adjacent Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) and City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) offices,” she said.

Sangrines said the scene of the crime operations (SOCO) has yet to release the result of their post-blast examination.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has also yet to submit its arson investigation report.

Meanwhile, all three victims of the explosion have been declared out-patients.

On-duty personnel of the different units holding office at the ICPO headquarters at Camp Achilles Plagata, Gen. Luna Street, City Proper, Iloilo City were jolted after an explosion rocked the compound around 10:15 a.m.

Initial reporters pointed to the probability that the blast happened due to the inappropriate temperature inside the facility.

This caused the initiation of a small amount of low explosion intended for training stored inside the said facility.

It was assumed that silver nitrite, an oxidizer that can intensify fire, may have exploded. The chemical is allegedly used during EOD training.