The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) yesterday transferred the remaining unexploded ordnances to a temporary safety area following the accidental explosion on Black Saturday inside its storage room.
Capt. Maria Theresita Gaspan, the DCPO’s spokesperson, said all remaining unexploded ordnances have already been pulled out from the storage room of the Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) inside Camp Domingo Leonor.
DCPO head Col. Alexander Tagum said they plan to build a proper storage facility for the unexploded ordnance (UXOs), including unearthed vintage bombs from World War II.
“Matagal na hinahanapan ng proper na pagtataguan o proper na disposal (We’ve been looking for a proper storage or proper disposal area). Unfortunately, ongoing pa ang request,” Tagum said.
Tagum told reporters that the UXOs, recovered from construction sites of new buildings, were stored in a storage facility away from the EOD stockroom.
The EOD stockroom stored improvised explosive devices and grenades seized from various operations in the city for evidence in court.
Tagum said it would have done more damage if the explosion had reached the storage area of the UXOs.
“Kung UXOs flattened na ning kampo namo (If UXOs had exploded, our camp would have been flattened), he said.
Tagum added most of the detonators of the UXOs had been eroded when recovered by authorities.
The police chief admitted that storing highly volatile court evidence such improvised explosive devices or grenades, has been a continuing problem.
An EOD team, led by its regional chief Maj. Joel Garcia, is presently conducting a post-blast investigation to determine the cause of the 11:30 a.m. explosion on Black Saturday inside the DCPO headquarters.
Tagum said the EOD team suspected that either a grenade or an improvised explosive device exploded at around 11:30 a.m.
He said the EOD personnel are validating how many of the explosives went off.
The incident resulted to a minor structural damage where estimated cost is yet to be determined, Gaspan said.
Report said technical investigation of the EOD and Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IMDB) shows minimal structural damage.
The blast was contained by the strong reinforce concrete of the ammunition stockroom at the seat of the explosion.
It was also the depository storage for recovered dynamites used in illegal fishing. (with Mindanews)
