Fire hits LPG refilling station, two gas stations in Pasig City

More than 20 people were injured when a leak at an LPG refilling station in Pasig City triggered a fire that spread to two nearby gas stations, a hardware store, and several houses early on Wednesday morning.

According to the Public Information Office of the Pasig City government, 23 victims were brought to various hospitals, mostly due to third-degree burns from the fire that started at the storage area of the Ragasco Refilling Station along Sandoval Street, Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City.

Of the 23 injured, 22 suffered third-degree burns and most were employees of the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) refilling station, a report on "News To Go" said on Wednesday.

One victim, an employee of a furniture store, was crushed by a wall that fell due to the impact of two consecutive explosions at the LPG refilling station.

Initial investigation showed that the employees of the LPG refilling station attempted to control the leak before alerting the BFP about the incident that happened past midnight.

The BFP said they were were only informed about the incident past 1:00 a.m. already, Jay Sabale's report on "News To Go" said.

The fire, which reached the fifth or highest alarm, was placed under control by 2:23 a.m. but fire out was only declared nearly an hour later at 3:10 a.m.

The estimated cost of damage was pegged at P20 million.

Sr. Supt. Wilberto Kwan-Tiu, District Director of BFP-Pasig, said, "Alam naman kasi natin ang LPG pag sumingaw, mas heavier than air so mas bumababa, so may initial na silang operations, nagku-cooling na siguro para siguro ma-dispense yung nagli-leak na LPG."

"However, yung mga kumakalat na nag-accumulate sa mga confined spaces, sa mga rooms, yun ang pumutok kaya kung makita natin, there are two Ground Zeros," Kwan-Tiu, referring to the two sites of the explosion.

"News To Go" reported that the fire at the LPG refilling station spread to nearby Flying V and Omni gas stations, a hardware store, and several houses.

Meanwhile, also on "News To Go," Maki Pulido reported that the residents in the area were shocked when the explosions at the LPG refilling station damaged their houses.

"Ang mga residente sa paligid nito ay medyo in shock pa rin sa nangyari. May mga bahay sa tapat ng sumabog na LPG refilling station. Ayon sa isang residente na nakausap namin si Gene Evangelista, akala nila mamamatay na sila," Pulido reported.

"Nagising sila dahil bumagsak sa kanila ang kisame sa loob ng kanilang kuwarto. Sumabog din ang mga salamin sa bintana at nagliparan ang mga gamit sa loob ng kuwarto," Pulido added.

The affected area — Sandoval Street — is already passable as of Wednesday morning as firetrucks have left the area and debris from the explosions have already been cleared. — BAP/VVP/TJD, GMA News