By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – A 25-year-old man was injured following a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) explosion at a business establishment on LN Agustin Drive, Barangay Villamonte, on Monday.
According to a report by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)–Bacolod, the fire started at around 6:52 a.m., partially damaging an eatery and four other stalls in a two-story building.
Fire Officer 2 Rolin Paulan, arson investigator, said the eatery owner asked the victim for help in opening an LPG tank located at the back of the establishment.
However, when the victim opened the tank, it began leaking. He attempted to close the valve but was unsuccessful.
Paulan added that the victim was warned not to return, but he went back to retrieve his cellphone. Unfortunately, the LPG tank exploded, and he came into direct contact with it.
The victim sustained second-degree burns on his left arm and is currently admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a local hospital.
Four other tenants were also affected by the explosion, which caused a fire due to the combustible materials surrounding the area. The blaze partially damaged the glass windows, roll-up doors, and ceilings of the stalls.
Paulan noted that only the first floor of the building was occupied at the time.
The fire was declared out at 7:06 a.m., with damages estimated at PHP180,000, according to Paulan.
In incidents like this, Paulan advised placing leaking LPG tanks in an open space or immediately reporting them to the distributor for replacement.
Caption: The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod investigates an LPG explosion in Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, that injured a young tenant on Monday. (Photo courtesy of BFP-Bacolod)
