Serendra blast caused by LPG – Roxas

MANILA, Philippines – Gas caused the explosion at the Two Serendra that killed 3 and left 4 injured on May 31.

Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said the blast was most likely caused by liquefied petroleum gas. 

The blast was most likely to have been caused by combustion or reaction of chemical substances like gas, Dr CP David of the Department of Science and Technology said Friday, June 7.

The blast had characteristics of a gas explosion.

The site had “minimal post explosion residue, no cratering, flame that dissipated instantly, and minimal charring,” David said. 

Roxas told a press conference on Friday, June 7, they had ruled out a bomb as being the cause of the explosion.

“We are comfortable to say this blast was not caused by a bomb, improvised or manufactured,” Roxas said. No bomb components or a crater were found or detected.

The explosives division of the National Bureau of Investigation found no components of a bomb such as detonators, wires, power supply, switch or container.

Watch the press conference below.

Sanctions?

“Hindi pa nagsimula ang turuan,” Roxas said when asked about possible sanctions if found that Ayala Land was negligent. (Finger-pointing has not started.)

For now, the Public Works Department and the city of Taguig are checking the structural integrity of the building. “Our experts have theories on where the leak came from,” Roxas also said.

He conceded however that the gas must have come from above (given the nature of gas), but that it is too early to pinpoint where exactly it came from.

Angelito San Juan, among the victims of the blast, remains at the Intensive Care Unit of St Luke’s Hospital in Taguig. He suffered from 2nd and 3rd degree burns in 85% of his body. He is still unable to speak about the events leading up to the explosion.

The owner of Unit 501B, Marianne Cayton, arrived in Manila early Friday to cooperate with authorities in the investigation and to turn over documents relating to the incident.

Both Cayton and San Juan are based in California. San Juan was visiting to attend a wedding. – with reports from Natashya Gutierrez/Rappler.com