3 injured as fire razes Army ammo building in Cagayan de Oro

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Three persons were injured in a three-hour fire at past midnight on Tuesday, July 12, that razed a building housing the ammunitions of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) inside its headquarters in Camp Evangelista, in this city.

The city residents were awakened to loud explosions beginning 12:10 a.m. and lasted for some 30 minutes.

A statement from the 4ID said the building housed 155 mm howitzer rounds and various small arms ammunitions, which could explain the explosions that also rocked nearby houses.

The Army command said civilians suffered minor shrapnel wounds and were treated at the Camp Evangelista station hospital.

The civilians living nearby were evacuated at the camp’s gymnasium to ensure their safety. As of Tuesday morning, they were not yet allowed to return to their homes while explosive and ordnance disposal experts cleared the area.

The explosions constrained the firefighters from getting near the burning structure that was declared fire out by 3:10 a.m.

Mayor Rolando Uy, in a statement on Tuesday morning, said the city government would assist the injured civilians, the Army, and other residents inside and in the vicinity of the camp.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office has been coordinating with the 4ID in providing psycho-social support and stress debriefing to affected residents, and also looking after the needs of those who were evacuated.

“City Hall affirms its trust in the command at the 4ID to manage this emergency and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future. I enjoin all residents to stay calm and refrain from making any speculations on the incident,” Uy said.

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