Residents along R-10 in Navotas evacuated due to ammonia leak from ice plant

Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco has ordered the evacuation of residents along Radial Road 10 after an ammonia leak at a cold storage facility was reported in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South on Wednesday afternoon.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Tiangco said the ammonia leak came from T.P. Marcelo Ice Plant and Cold Storage, which is owned by his mother and her siblings.

“Ang likod po niyan is residential area facing R-10, so kaagad pong pumunta ‘yong Bureau of Fire Protection natin doon at ‘yong mga ambulansya para ilikas po ‘yong mga matatanda at tsaka ‘yong mga bata,” Tiangco said.

“Sinagad na namin along R-10 [ang evacuation] kasi ‘yong T.P. Marcelo is facing North Bay Boulevard pero ‘yong likod non, puro residential… Papuntang C-3 i-evacuate na namin,” he added.

In a report on 24 Oras, Tiangco apologized for his personal connection to the situation. 

"[K]umpanya 'yan ng magkakapatid ng mother ko, kamag-anak ko 'yan. Ako ay humihingi ng paumanhin sa nangyari doon," he said.

The residents will be brought to evacuation centers in the city and the Bureau of Fire Protection will check the cause of the chemical leak.

“Mayroon po kasing dalang chemical ‘yong BFP para mawala ‘yong amoy…ie-evaluate pa ngayon kung kailangan silang mag-stay doon sa evacuation center o hindi,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco said he also ordered the temporary closure of his mother's facility.

“Kahit sa nanay ko ‘yan, pina-close muna natin at hindi natin papasukin ang mga tao, ‘di natin papa-operate hanggang hindi pa safe,” he told dzBB.

“Wala pong exempted sa batas kahit nanay ko, kapatid ko. Dapat sumunod sa batas na pinapatupad ng lokal na pamahalaan,” he added.

Further, residents who will experience health problems due to the incident will be assisted by the company and the city government.

This is the second ammonia leak incident in the city.

Tiangco said an ammonia leak also occurred in an ice plant on Lapu-Lapu Avenue weeks ago. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News