Taskforce enters ice plant despite dangerous ammonia leak

Despite a reported ammonia leak, operatives of Task Force TP Marcelo on Friday entered an ice plant and cold storage facility in Navotas City to install thermal scanners and gather evidence on the incident.

According to Mariz Umali’s report on “24 Oras,” an ammonia leak was reported at the T.P. Marcelo Ice Plant and Cold Storage facility in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South on Wednesday afternoon.

“Para ma-preserve po namin ‘yung area, digitally, para in case kailangan natin i-reconstruct siya, hindi na natin kailangan bumalik dito sa area. Doon na lang po tayo sa computer mag-titingin,” Task Force spokesperson Fire Chief Inspector Joel Karl Blando said.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) admitted that they had difficulty finding the source of the leak due to the still dangerous levels of gas in the facility.

Taskforce operatives were only allowed 10 to 15 minutes inside the ice plant. They were then be required to stay outside for another 10 minutes before being allowed to return.

“Ako personally medyo, kaya hindi ako nagtatagal sa loob. Masangsang ‘yung amoy tapos mahirap huminga. Kaya kailangan talagang kumuha ng sariwang hangin dito sa labas,” Blando said.

The trees around the facility had dried-up due to the ammonia.

Operatives of the Philippine National Police Explosives and Ordinance Unit and SOCO also came to conduct a their own investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, 22 patients who inhaled ammonia were still being observed at the hospital. Three of the patients were in critical condition.

One of the victims confined in the emergency room of the Philippine General Hospital said she and her senior citizen mother and two-month-old baby inhaled ammonia.

“Tinabunan ko kasi ‘di na po makahinga. Naawa po ako tas sana maka-survive po. Akala mo ‘yung mamatay ka na kasi sobrang sakit po hindi ka na makahinga. Sana po tulungan niyo po kami sa mga gamot na kailangang bilhin,” she said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News