One killed, 3 hurt in predawn explosion in Cagayan de Oro

At least one person was killed while three people, two of them police officers, were injured after an improvised explosive device exploded near a hotel in Cagayan de Oro City before dawn Thursday.

 

Cagayan de Oro City police chief Senior Superintendent Gerardo Rosales said the incident occurred along J.R. Borja Street near a hotel at about 2 a.m.

 

"May sumabog na IED mga 2 a.m., sa tabi ng hotel. On the spot may isang civilian namatay at isang civilian wounded, at may dalawang pulis natin na wounded din (The improvised explosive device exploded at 2 a.m. near a hotel. A civilian was killed on the spot while a civilian and two of our police officers were wounded)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

He said they are still trying to find leads that would identify the fatality.

 

Citing initial information, Rosales said city police were alerted by security of a hotel who said some men were acting suspiciously near the hotel premises.

 

When two police personnel went to the area to check, they found a small can that they suspected may be an IED.

 

The two policemen called in the bomb squad and moved away from the area but the IED exploded, hitting them with shrapnel.

 

"Ang sharpnel ay concrete nails (The IED had concrete nails as shrapnel)," Rosales said.

 

He said there is no initial information a timing device was used.

 

"Wala pa tayong makitang motibo (We have yet to determine the motive for the explosion)," he said. — ELR, GMA News