Explosion at Suspected Illegal Firecracker-Making Facility in Malasiqui, Pangasinan — 5 Dead

Explosion at Suspected Illegal Firecracker-Making Facility in Malasiqui, Pangasinan — 5 Dead

📌 On the evening of Wednesday, November 4, an explosion and fire at a suspected illegal firecracker-making facility in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, in northern Luzon, killed 5 people, including a young girl. Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion and whether the manufacturing was illegal.

■ What Happened
· The explosion occurred at around 7:45 p.m. on the 4th (Daily Tribune) in a building in the middle of a field on the border of Barangay Tabo-Sili and Calbueg.
· According to GMA, the fire was put out at around 8:21 p.m., and boxes of small firecrackers (baby rocket, kuwitis) and firecracker materials were found at the scene.
· Five people died. DZRH reported they were a 7-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl and boy, and men aged 24 and 26, while GMA reported that an 8-year-old girl was among them (the children's ages differ between reports).
· According to Manila Bulletin, the body of one victim was found on the morning of the 5th during cleanup, on a malunggay tree where it had been thrown and caught by the force of the blast.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· Manila Bulletin reported that the victims' family appears to have rented the lot to make firecrackers, and that authorities have taken one woman connected to them into custody. The barangay says it did not know about the manufacturing.
· Reports differ on the injured. GMA only said that 2 people escaped, Daily Tribune reported 1, and DZRH reported 2 people with minor injuries, including a 35-year-old woman known as the owner of the facility and a 13-year-old boy.
· Malasiqui Vice Mayor Daria Mamaril ordered checks on whether there are other places secretly making firecrackers in other barangays.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· Do not buy or keep at home any firecrackers without a manufacturer or permit label.
· If you notice the smell of gunpowder or suspicious firecracker-making activity in your neighborhood, report it to the barangay or the police (911).

■ Sources
GMA News (11/5), Manila Bulletin (11/5), Daily Tribune (11/5), DZRH (11/5)

■ Photos
· 1. Flames and exploding firecrackers during the blast (scene from footage provided by a witness) — GMA News
· 2. Firefighters and rescuers at the explosion site — Manila Bulletin
· 3. The burning suspected firecracker-making facility — DZRH
· 4. Firecracker sparks bursting at the moment of the explosion — Daily Tribune