20 hurt in Pasig City blast, blaze

Edited @ 10:15 a.m., Jan. 11, 2017, to include the names of the victims and to revise the number of those hurt.

A two-hour fire broke out at an LPG refilling station in Pasig City before dawn Wednesday, injuring 20, authorities said.

According to Senior Inspector Anthony Arroyo, of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Pasig, the fire reportedly started at 1:06 a.m. at the Omni Gas Corporation compound along Sandoval Avenue in Barangay San Miguel.

Omni reportedly refills tanks for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly used for cooking.

Radio reports said two explosions preceded the blaze that affected surrounding houses and a Flying V gas station.

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Most of the injuries were due to the blasts, the reports said. Many of the victims were reportedly rushed to the Rizal Medical Center for treatment.

Article continues after this advertisement Epifanio Ausa, 50, who worked in the adjacent FCS furniture,  sustained a laceration on his left foot, Arroyo said. The following workers of Omni Gas Corporation, meanwhile, suffered superficial partial thickness burns according to the BFP:  Adonis Munoz, 22; Jayro Soriano, 22; Jectopher Cawili, 21; Romeo Eugenio, 28; Camilo Alcaraz, Jr, 18; Alejandro Conrad, 42; Raymundo Saturnino, 20; Jason Dagaw, 25; Philip Villota, 28;Domingo Guira, 29; Jeffrey Eugenio, 35; Raymart Eda, 22; Joel Eda, 28; Ramil Reden, 21; Arvin Bautista, 20; Jeter Brillantes, 25; Noriel Salamio, 22; Bryan Ludrico, 20 and William Khey, 39. The BFP revised the number of victims to 20 after it was first reported at 23. The agency cited double counting for the higher figure.

The fire quickly reached the fifth alarm at 1:21 a.m. and was declared under control at 1:57 a.m.

The BFP declared a fire out at 3:10 a.m.

Arroyo said LPG fumes at accumulated inside the refilling compound caused the explosion. CBB