CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A fire broke out in one of the buildings inside the ammunition complex, where ammunition of all sorts was stored, inside the Phil. Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) headquarters at Camp Evangelista in Barangay Patag Tuesday dawn, July 12, reports from the military said.
The complex was managed by the 10th Forward Service Support Unit (FSSU) of the Army Support Command (ASCOM).
The fire, said Maj. Francisco Garello Jr., 4ID spokesperson, said the fire caused a series of loud explosions.
“The said building houses 155mm Howitzer rounds and various small arms ammunitions,” Garello said.
Immediately, he said, fire trucks from the city have responded but could not get near the burning structure due to dangerous explosion.
“There was no casualty from the military personnel, but three civilians incurred minor wounds due to shrapnel and are now treated at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital,” Garello said.
All personnel near the incident site evacuated for safety, he said.
Likewise, civilians nearby were advised to evacuate to the 4ID Gymnasium, the designated evacuation center within the camp, he added.
“The cause of the incident is yet to be determined. The fire was declared out at 3:10 AM. However, the incident area needs a cooling period before EOD personnel could move in to clear the area. 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,” Garello said.
In the meantime, he said the 4ID Command administers psycho-social support and stress debriefing to affected individuals in coordination with the officials of Barangay Patag and CDO City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) at the Evacuation Centers.
