3 hurt after ammo depot fire at Army camp in CDO

THREE civilians were injured after a fire hit an Army ammunition depot in a military camp in Cagayan de Oro City that triggered loud explosions.

The incident prompted Army Commanding General Romeo Brawer Jr. to immediately travel to Cagayan de Oro City to personally check the ongoing investigation into the incident.

The blaze broke out at past midnight on Tuesday in one of the buildings inside the ammunition complex of the 10th Forward Service Support Unit (FSSU), Army Support Command (ASCOM) that is located inside the compound of the headquarters of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4th ID). According to 4th ID spokesman Major Francisco Garello Jr., the building located inside Camp Evangelista in Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City housed “155mm howitzer rounds and various small arms ammunitions,” triggering explosions.

Garello said 11 fire trucks from the city responded but they could not get near the burning building due to the dangerous explosions.

“There was no military personnel casualty, but three civilians incurred minor wounds due to shrapnel and are now being treated at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital,” he said.

Garello said personnel near the fire site were evacuated for safety while civilians living nearby were advised to evacuate to the 4ID gymnasium.

While the fire was tapped out at around 3 a.m., explosive and ordnance experts could not move to clear the area as Garello said, the area needed a “cooling period.”

“When the residual fire would have been completely contained, Army investigating team, including City fire authorities will come in to conduct thorough investigation to determine the cause of the incident,” he said.

The Army, through its spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad, said the military has put up a cordon of 500-meter radius around the area.

He said at least 49 families or about 233 individuals were temporarily sheltered at the camp’s gymnasium.

“The Philippine Army will cooperate with the Bureau of Fire Protection in proving the root cause of the incident. The Army’s explosive ordnance disposal experts said a cooloff period will be observed before launching a formal investigation,” Trinidad said.

“The Army will launch an internal investigation aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future,” he added. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, through its spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar, thanked the Bureau of Fire Protection for promptly responding to the fire.