Death toll from Navotas ammonia leak incident now 2 —official

The number of fatalities from Wednesday's ammonia leak incident in an ice plant in Navotas City has climbed to two, a local official said Thursday.

Vonne Villanueva, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the body was recovered on Thursday morning. The victim, a resident of Malabon City, was an electrician at the facility.

"Bale ngayong umaga nga po nakita natin 'yung katawan po ni Mr. Joselito Jazareno, siya po ay 54 years old, empleyado po ng T.P. Marcelo," Villanueva told Dobol B sa News TV.

"Kagabi noong pumasok kami dito tiningnan namin 'yung impact site. Siya po ay nakita ngayong umaga nakasiksik po sa gilid po na medyo malayo po, 20 metro ang layo mula doon sa impact site. Siguro na rin po dahil sa kondisyon noong mga panahon ngayon, dahil malakas pa ang amoy, hindi na-search ng masinsin," he added.

The first fatality was identified as Gilbert Tiangco, 44, also an employee of the plant that was owned by the relatives of Navotas City mayor Toby Tiangco. 

Aside from the two fatalities, 96 individuals were hurt and brought to hospitals, according to latest information reaching Tiangco.

Tiangco said financial assistance to the victims should be extended by the firm and not by the local government unit.

"Hindi naman po sa ayaw ng lokal na pamahalaan na tumulong kaya lang itong pangyayaring ito ay posed by a private company na nagkataon ay pamilya ko. So pangit naman na gastusin ang pera ng gobyerno dahil ang pinsala ay nanggaling sa kumpanya na pag-aari ng pamilya ng nanay ko so they will have to pay for everything," Tiangco said in an Unang Balita interview on Thursday. 

In a separate statement, Tiangco said the city government would conduct counselling for the residents who experienced trauma due to the incident.

Villanueva said an investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection was still ongoing on Thursday morning regarding the incident.

"Tuloy-tuloy pa rin po 'yung imbestigasyon. Magsa-submit po sa ating pamahalaang lungsod 'yung Bureau of Fire Protection ng kumpleto at detalyadong report po dito," he said.

The city official has already ensured that residents in the area are already out of danger.

Villanueva said at 8:23 p.m. of Wednesday, residents were already instructed to go back to their residences, and that six ambulances were on standby in case of emergency.  

Tiangco said he would have BFP and other sanitation officers check other ice plant and cold storage facilities in the city to determine if they comply with the occupational safety standards and environmental regulations.  —KBK, GMA News