Four persons were killed while five others were injured in a blast and fire that hit a fireworks factory in the province of Laguna on Thursday afternoon, the Philippine National Police said Friday.
In a report, the PNP-Area Police Command Southern Luzon (APC-SL) said the incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at the Diamond Fireworks Inc. in Barangay Bigaa, Cabuyao City.
The Cabuyao Component City Police Station, Cabuyao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Cabuyao immediately responded to the fire, which was declared out shortly before 6 p.m.
Two unidentified bodies were recovered at the site, while the injured persons were rushed to various hospitals.
The police said the fatalities from the fire rose to four, after two victims who were seriously injured later died.
In a radio interview, Cabuyao CDRRMO chief Bobby Abinal Jr. said a child who was among those hurt in the fire is now in stable condition.
He said an investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the incident and conduct a damage assessment.
“The area is now cordoned off. The police and the CDRRMO responders are there. They are securing the area and at any moment, our post-incident analysis team and the investigators will arrive at the scene,” he added.