A gathering held at Zamboanga’s Metropolis Corridor final Monday, July 1, 2024, with representatives of the totally different companies and places of work involved to debate the problem relating to the explosion at Chua’s warehouse. | PHOTO: Official Fb web page of the Metropolis Authorities of Zamboanga
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Mayor John Dalipe suspended the enterprise allow of Jonathan “Jojie” Chua, operator of the Subsequent Step Fireworks Shoppe, whose stockpile of fireworks exploded on Saturday, killing 5 individuals and hurting 38 others.
Chua had secured a sole proprietorship in promoting, dealing, and distributing all forms of pyrotechnics on this metropolis.
He additionally owned the outdated firecracker store at Veterans Road right here that caught fireplace and left two individuals useless on April 9, 2013.
Dalipe said that he ordered the suspension of Chua’s enterprise allow pending the outcomes of the continued probe on the explosion at 4:14 p.m. on Saturday inside a warehouse at Marquez Drive in Barangay Tetuan.
The mayor mentioned Chua owned the store however not the warehouse that exploded. The our bodies of couple Rolly Limen, 38, and his spouse Mirriam, 37, caretakers of the warehouse, together with their 3-year-old son Arden, have been recovered from the rubble of the explosion.
These of Junelyn Ramos, storekeeper of Subsequent Steps Fireworks Shoppe, and Erikka Lacastesantos, 18, an occasions employee for the Chua household, have been discovered within the compound after the firemen declared fireplace out at 6:40 p.m. Chua was earlier reported to be among the many wounded.
Firecracker ban
District Hearth Marshall Christopher Morales beneficial a complete ban on firecrackers, fireworks, and different pyrotechnics within the metropolis to stop one other comparable incident. However such a ban must be coated by a brand new ordinance as fireworks for leisure and celebratory functions have been allowed, topic to phrases and circumstances.
Dalipe was additionally anticipated to subject an govt order mandating the Metropolis Engineer’s Workplace, the police, and barangay officers to examine all warehouses and storage amenities within the metropolis.
Colonel Kimberly Molitas, town police director, mentioned the bottom zero of the explosion remained near civilians as a result of ongoing clearing operations.
She mentioned they discovered a number of packing containers of pyrotechnics onsite. Though these packing containers had been drenched, they needed to be retrieved and dropped at Barangay Muti for correct disposal.
“Individuals can’t but return to the realm until all the pieces is cleared, as a security and precaution,” Molitas mentioned, including they obtained 37 extra complaints largely claiming damages from the warehouse proprietor.
Appeals for assist
Metropolis officers distributed meals packs to 40 households residing inside the periphery of the fireworks blast website.
Other than meals packs from the Division of Social Welfare and Growth (DSWD), town authorities will launch P10,000 to 5 households whose family members died within the incident, in keeping with Maria Socorro Rojas, town social welfare officer.
However there was no official phrase but as to who would shoulder the hospitalization of the 38 individuals wounded within the blast and have been nonetheless confined in 4 totally different hospitals right here.
The bereaved households of Limen, Ramos, and Lacastesantos are interesting for assist with funeral bills.
Manelyn Gregorio, sister of Mirriam Gregorio Limen, mentioned the household couldn’t afford burial companies for her sister, her husband, and their son. The couple, who died within the blast, left three kids aged 18, 15, and a pair of. The household lives in Shanty city in Barangay Lumbangan.
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Nerissa Ramos, a home employee overseas and mom of Jonalyn, additionally pleaded for assist to be allowed to go to and mourn for her daughter. Ramos has been working in Saudi Arabia for 5 months now and all she might afford was a one-way aircraft journey to Manila. She mentioned her daughter, a nursing pupil, had been working part-time as a storekeeper for the Chuas earlier than the blast.
