Vintage bomb explosion hurts 6 people in Leyte

San Isidro town in Leyte province (Image from Google Maps)

TACLOBAN CITY — Six people, two of them were children, were hurt when a vintage bomb exploded at about 7:45 a.m. on Sunday (June 10) in Sitio Betaog in Barangay Crossing in San Isidro, Leyte province.

Shortly before the explosion, the victims were boiling water to be used to butcher a pig using two vintage bombs as stands of a large pan, said Insp. Gary Zaldy Ligutan, officer-in-charge of the San Isidro Municipal Police Station in a phone interview.

One of the Japanese-made vintage bombs exploded due its exposure to heat.

The victims were identified as Bonifacio Cortez,48, and his son, Joeram,11; Alfredo Maga,33 and his son Francis,11; Gil Salazar,56; and Dionisio Talisic,53 and a still unidentified barangay tanod.

The victims were about to butcher a pig for the the birthday of one Rodolfo Mentuerto, who was not around at the time of the explosion,. The explosion took place at the backyard of Mentuerto’s house.

The victims were immediately brought to Ormoc District Hospital in Ormoc City for treatment.

“They are now out of danger, although they suffered injuries to their bodies and faces due to the explosion,” Ligutan said.

Ligutan said that the World War II-era bombs of still unknown type had been in possession of the victims.

“Because of this incident, we are calling those who have similar bombs in their possession to surrender them to us for proper disposition by the EOD [Explosives and Ordnance Division],” Ligutan said.

Police seized the other bomb that did not explode. /atm