Bomb experts probe New Year's Eve blast in Legaspi

Bomb experts in Legazpi City in Albay province are now investigating a New Year's Eve explosion that damaged a canteen in the city's commercial district. Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal said in an interview on dzRH radio that personnel from the police's Explosives and Ordinance Division (EOD) were at the scene Monday to investigate the incident. "There was a stack of gunpowder left near a store. There are two possibilities. If the blast was caused by gunpowder, it could have been a joke. But if ammonium was used, it might be a deliberate attack," Rosal said in Filipino during an interview on dzRH radio. As of Monday noon, dzBB radio reported that samples of the gunpowder were sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame for analysis. The dzBB report also indicated that there was no shrapnel found at the blast site. Rosal told dzRH radio that investigators may need four to five days to analyze the crime scene, adding the damage caused by the explosion was relatively minor. He said the explosion was one of the rare "sounds" of celebration to welcome the New Year as residents had no money to buy firecrackers. Legazpi City was among the hardest hit areas when typhoons "Milenyo" and "Reming" lashed the country last year. Many of its villages were buried by debris from Mayon Volcano. "There were not much firecrackers last night because times are tough in the city these days," Rosal said. Meanwhile, Rosal said rehabilitation work will continue this month, with residents of Padang village to be moved to relocation sites before classes resume on Wednesday. He said some 600 families from Padang village will be relocated. Padang village was smothered with rocks and mud whole after rains from "Reming" loosened debris at Mayon, sending it crashing down on the village. More than 500 died in the mudslide and more than 500 listed as missing have been considered dead.- GMANews.TV