Injured victims of LPG tank explosion inside Manila laundry shop now 16

The number of injured persons from Monday night's explosion in a laundry shop in Manila has climbed to 16, according to Nico Waje's report on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

Among those hurt were students who were playing in a billiard hall located above the laundry shop.

"Habang nagchi-chikahan kami, nagulat na lang kami may nag-explode. Tapos chinek namin sarili namin, ayun, duguan na," said Red, 19, one of the victims.

(We were talking and there was this explosion. We checked ourselves and saw we were bloodied.)

Red sustained wounds in his arms and neck after shards from a glass sliding door hit him during the explosion, which was blamed on an LPG tank.

According to the staff of an adjacent restaurant, employees of the laundry shop had sought their help prior to the explosion.

According to the laundry shop's owner, two LPG tanks were delivered to them earlier in the day for their dryer, but it was discovered later that only one was connected. One had a line dangling and may have caused a gas leak.

"Nagkaroon ng gas leak doon sa isang laundry shop sa Taft Avenue at nag-result ito sa isang positive explosion kung saan maraming nasa paligid ang na-injure," said Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon, Manila Police District chief.

(There was a gas leak from the laundry shop on Taft Avenue and this resulted in a positive explosion that injured many people nearby.)

“Nung tumawag yung caretaker, pumunta yung dalawa kong tauhan na higpitan daw yung hose. Dahil nagpanic na raw yung babae dahil nangangamoy. Ako naman, umakyat dahil kailangan ng fire extinguisher," said Macario Torre, the building owner, on Cedric Castillo's report on "24 Oras" on Tuesday.

The Bureau of Fire Protection confirmed that one of the causes of the explosion was the LPG inside the laundry shop.

The authorities also discovered that the establishment does not have a fire inspection certificate.

“As per record po, wala pong na-issue ang Manila Fire District na valid fire safety inspection certificate. 'Pag nakuha na natin kung ano result ng investigation, masasabi natin kung may foul play na or there was negligence," said Fire Senior Superintedent Christine Cula.

The owner of the laundry shop has promised to shoulder the medical bills of the victims. The victims' families, however, are mulling filing a complaint against the laundry shop's owner.—With a report from Sherylin Untalan/KBK, GMA Integrated News