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5 dead, 2 injured in Laguna fireworks factory fire
By GMA Integrated NewsFive persons were confirmed dead, while two were injured after a fire broke out in a fireworks factory in Calamba City, Laguna on Friday.
Calamba City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) chief Noriel Habaña said the blaze started in one of the houses in the residential area in Barangay Canlubang at around 10 a.m.
Four houses were affected by the incident.
“Initially, ang report may sumabog at ito nga po napag-alaman na may mga ginagawang paputok. Di pa po namin masabi kung gaano kalaki ang impact dahil ongoing pa ang investigation,” he said in an interview over dzBB’s Super Radyo.
According to Habaña, authorities also found some of the victims who were working in the alleged factory were not residents of the city.
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Police are still trying to determine the owner of the house and the persons operating the business establishment.
Meanwhile, a police report said the fire was raised to a second alarm at around 11:20 p.m. and was considered under control at 12:03 p.m.
Habaña said the Calamba City government immediately responded to the fire victims and temporarily relocated the affected residents in the evacuation centers.
Calamba City Mayor Roseller “Ross” Rizal said the supposed illegal establishment started operating in May.
The five fire victims were workers employed in the alleged factory and all came from Albay province.
“Lumalabas po na ilegal kaya nga po siguro itinago sa isang looban na dulo ng bahay at kabahayan, mga kapitbahay lang ang nakakaalam,” said Rizal in Andrew Bernardo’s report on “24 Oras."
(It seems like it is illegal, maybe that’s why they concealed it in that house. Only their neighbors knew about it.)
He said he would ask the police to expedite its probe to file charges against the operators of the said business.
“Serious resulting to physical injuries with multiple homicides, ‘yan ang mga kaso diyan (that are the possible charges),” he added.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News