A CHEMICAL reaction in the munitions’ smokeless powder may have triggered the explosion at the ammo dump in Camp Evangelista, Barangay Patag here Tuesday morning, its Army commander said.
Lt. Col. Vlademir Sta. Maria, commanding officer of the 10th Forward Service Support Unit said it is possible that the explosion may have been triggered by a chemical reaction in the thousands of rounds of ammunition stored at Magazine no. 5 inside the ammo complex in Camp Evangelista.
“If gunpowder is (exposed to) a certain environment it may trigger a chemical reaction that may lead it to be unstable,” Sta. Maria said.
He said this is the initial finding they got from the testimonies of soldiers who witnessed how the explosions started Tuesday.
Sta. Maria placed the damages in Magazine no. 5 at P27 million.
Three persons were treated for minor injuries. They are identified as Reynard Quirweca, 45 years old; Curt Angelo Cuizon, 15 years old; and Acolbay Escalante, 22 years old, all residents inside Camp Evangelista.
A total of 61 families numbering 327 individuals were forced to flee to the gym inside the camp shaken by the thunderous explosions from the burned ammo dump.
Another 100 families fled to the covered court of Barangay Patag.
Magazine no. 5 stored 155-mm howitzer rounds and various ammunition for military units under one of the largest Army camps in Mindanao.
Military authorities will start the investigation today Wednesday by sending teams of explosive ordnance personnel, PNP Scene of the Crime Operatives, and Bureau of Fire Protection to the blast site.
Philippine Army Chief Lt. Romeo Brawner who arrived here in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday to set the phase of the investigation said damage to the nearby buildings was “minimal.”
Brawner said the ammo dump, one of the ten magazine bunkers of the 10th Forward Service Support Unit, is located in a sparsely located section of the camp.
He said he believed that all of the safety procedures at the ammo dump were “sufficient” but this has to be investigated still.
“We will be looking if there (are) lapses in the implementation of the safety procedures,” Brawner said.
Brawner promised that the investigation would be transparent and the results would be given to the city government of Cagayan de Oro and the residents.
