ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur —— One person was killed, four others suffered burns while another remains missing after a motor launch exploded on Friday night, April 16, at a private wharf in Baliwasan village here.
The wooden-hulled boat was loaded with 200 barrels of gasoline. Each barrel contained 200 liters of gasoline.
Chief Inspector Jaqueline Ortega, ground commander of the City Fire Department, said the explosion “was due to ignition coming from the engine compartment at the lower deck area of M/L Zaida May (which) later on produced rampaging flames due to (the) volume of gasoline fumes.”
The launch was owned by a certain Salam Addah.
Ortega said they received the report about the explosion at the wharf of the Petron Corporation at around 10:17 p.m. on Friday through emergency hotline 911.
The ensuing fire was totally put off at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Ortega identified the crew member who died as Jimlani Malib Rini while Mujib Masaraja Abdurasid was still missing.
Those injured were Jilamad Addah, the boat captain who was rushed to the Zamboanga City Medical Center; Mawar Najar Haminon, who was brought to Brent Hospital; Jupakkal Ahamad; and Nurhan Ahamad Amping.
Ortega placed the fire damage at P2 million that included the houses of eight families near the wharf who were forced to evacuate.