Woman hurt in North Cotabato roadside blast

MANILA, Philippines—A woman was wounded in the bus hit by an improvised explosive device in North Cotabato Monday, police said.

Senior Superintendent Cornelio Salinas said that the victim from the explosion which happened around 6:10 a.m. along the National Highway at Barangay (village) Cadis, Carmen town, North Cotabato, was identified as Hazel Digamo, 20, of new Compostela, Damulog, Bukidnon. She sustained injuries in the forehead caused by glass splinters from the broken windshield.

Salinas said that the victim was treated at village health center for “minor injuries.” She was then taken to the Carmen police station for interview.

The rural transit bus with body number 2930 and plate number KVS-690 was hit on the front and left side by fragments of the explosive device as it was traveling along the highway bound for Tacurong City, he said.

Colonel Leopoldo Galon, spokesman of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said the bomb was fashioned from an 81mm mortar shell.

After the explosion, Salinas said that the bus first went to a safe area in Malapag village, Carmen, to report the incident to village officials, who then reported it to local police.

Police recovered mortar round pieces at the explosion site, he added.— With a report from Williamor A. Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao

Originally posted at 02:46 pm | Monday, February 06, 2012