By FREDDIE VELEZ
A powerful explosion at a suspected illegal firecracker factory in Barangay Partida, Norzagaray, Bulacan, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, killed two people and injured six others, shocking nearby residents.
According to initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the first body was recovered shortly after the blast.
A second fatality was later discovered inside the wreckage, with authorities noting severe injuries including a shattered skull and severed arm.
Crime scene investigators were called in to process the site before further recovery efforts could proceed.
Local residents claimed the factory operated illegally and was allegedly owned by businessmen from Manila.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion was triggered by firework fuses exposed to intense sunlight, which ignited and set off stored gunpowder within the facility.
Six workers sustained injuries during the incident and were immediately transported to nearby hospitals for treatment by responding rescue teams.
Authorities are still verifying the identities of the deceased and injured as the investigation continues into the factory’s operations and safety violations.
