(Update) Blast rocks mall in Sultan Kudarat; 4 hurt
12/28/2006 | 04:10 PM
An explosion on Thursday afternoon hit a commercial establishment in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province less than three months after another powerful blast killed six people and wounded 30 others at a public market in the same city.
Interviewed over dzBB radio, Chief Superintendent German Doria, head of the Region 12 police, said the incident occured shortly before 4 p.m. at the Kimsan Plaza along Bonifacio Street.
Four people were slightly injured during the blast. The extent of damage has yet to be determined.
Initial reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo identified the victims as Anthon Gonio,
28; Nilda Lorenza, 43; John Rey Lorenso, 21; and Analyn Lorenso, 26. All four were rushed to the nearby Sandig hospital.
"The explosion happened inside the mall itself near the baggage counter. The good news here is that there were no casualties ... but I still don't know how severely [they were injured]," Doria said in Filipino.
The incident also came after the Armed Forces recovered what they said could be the remains of Khaddafy Janjalani, leader of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group based in southern Philippines.
For his part, Lieutenant Col. Bartolome Bacarro, AFP public information office chief, said that, "We are investigating who the suspects are and [what] the motive [was]."
Doria has dispatched police personnel from the Explosives and Ordinance Division to conduct an ocular inspection and to determine what kind of explosive was used.
Reports immediately after the blast, however, said an improvised explosive device might have been used.
Doria said his men will investigate the possible involvement of security guards and mall personnel assigned at the baggage area where the explosion originated.
"I ordered my provincial and city directors to look into the lapses of security guards. We previously told these guards to tighten security measures especially during the Christmas season," he said.
Doria added that, "I heard that the guards there (Kimsan) are lax [in their duties]."
Police and military officials are now investigating if the purported bombers wanted to extort money from the mall management.-GMANews.TV
Interviewed over dzBB radio, Chief Superintendent German Doria, head of the Region 12 police, said the incident occured shortly before 4 p.m. at the Kimsan Plaza along Bonifacio Street.
Four people were slightly injured during the blast. The extent of damage has yet to be determined.
Initial reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo identified the victims as Anthon Gonio,
28; Nilda Lorenza, 43; John Rey Lorenso, 21; and Analyn Lorenso, 26. All four were rushed to the nearby Sandig hospital.
"The explosion happened inside the mall itself near the baggage counter. The good news here is that there were no casualties ... but I still don't know how severely [they were injured]," Doria said in Filipino.
The incident also came after the Armed Forces recovered what they said could be the remains of Khaddafy Janjalani, leader of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group based in southern Philippines.
For his part, Lieutenant Col. Bartolome Bacarro, AFP public information office chief, said that, "We are investigating who the suspects are and [what] the motive [was]."
Doria has dispatched police personnel from the Explosives and Ordinance Division to conduct an ocular inspection and to determine what kind of explosive was used.
Reports immediately after the blast, however, said an improvised explosive device might have been used.
Doria said his men will investigate the possible involvement of security guards and mall personnel assigned at the baggage area where the explosion originated.
"I ordered my provincial and city directors to look into the lapses of security guards. We previously told these guards to tighten security measures especially during the Christmas season," he said.
Doria added that, "I heard that the guards there (Kimsan) are lax [in their duties]."
Police and military officials are now investigating if the purported bombers wanted to extort money from the mall management.-GMANews.TV
