5 dead in Malasiqui fireworks factory blast: What we know so far - Rappler

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ILLEGAL OPERATION. The structure said to contain the firecrackers and gunpowder that caused the explosion.

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MALASIQUI, Philippines – Five people, including three minors, were killed when an explosion ripped through a makeshift structure in Barangay Tabo-Sili here in Pangasinan on Wednesday night, November 4, exposing a suspected illegal fireworks operation on a property that residents believed was being used as a piggery.

The explosion, which occurred at around 7:45 pm, left two survivors: an adult woman and a child. Malasiqui police chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Sawadan said both were in stable condition.

The woman was the live-in partner of one of the fatalities, according to initial information about the victims.

The five fatalities included her male partner, a 17-year-old male, a female minor reportedly visiting the area, another male victim, and a 7-year-old girl who was rushed to a hospital but was later declared dead.

Beyond the loss of five lives, the incident has raised questions about how a suspected fireworks operation could have been established on a property in a remote barangay without the necessary government authorizations.

Residents said the explosion was powerful enough to be heard in neighboring barangays and nearby towns. Several more blasts followed in quick succession.

Barangay officials traced the source to a property near the boundary of barangays Tabo-Sili and Calbueg, although the site was within Tabo-Sili.

The Bureau of Fire Protection secured the area, preventing residents and local officials from approaching it that night because of safety concerns.

Malasiqui Vice Mayor Daria “Dang” Mamaril said she began receiving calls from residents reporting the explosion. She contacted the fire bureau and police, while the mayor proceeded to the scene.

The situation was distressing, she said, as victims were found scattered across the ground, some already lifeless.

Mamaril said no application for a fireworks factory or storage facility had ever been discussed before the Sangguniang Bayan.

Her statement raises questions about the legal status of the facility and whether the people operating it secured the necessary permits and clearances from other government agencies.

However, the absence of an application before the municipal council does not, by itself, establish whether other offices had received applications or issued relevant permits.

Authorities have yet to provide a complete account of the facility’s regulatory status.

“Talagang wala kaming idea (We really had no idea). I was also speaking with the barangay captain, wala rin silang alam (they also had no idea),” said Mamaril.

“We will make sure that a legislative action will be to call concerned agencies for investigation.”

Before the explosion, residents knew the property as a former piggery.

Barangay officials said the livestock operation had stopped several years ago after hogs reportedly died from an illness. 

Tabo-Sili Barangay Captain Benjie de Vera said the property was previously operated by someone identified as only Lavarias, although the extent of Lavarias’ involvement in the property’s subsequent use has yet to be established.

After the piggery ceased operations, the property was eventually rented out again. The new occupants reportedly told residents they intended to resume raising pigs.

De Vera said local officials and residents had no reason to suspect that fireworks were being manufactured or stored there.

“Babuyan ito noon. Nagsimatayan yung mga baboy kaya hindi na inoperate ng may-ari. Pero may umupa ulit at sinabing magpapalaki uli ng baboy,” De Vera said.

(It used to be a piggery. The owner stopped operating after several pigs died. Someone later rented the property and said they would raise pigs again.)

De Vera said no one had reported suspicious visitors or unusual activities at the property before the explosion.

But the transition from a defunct livestock operation to a property where police would later recover firework materials remains an important part of the investigation.

Who rented the property after the piggery stopped operating? When did the new occupants move in? What activities were actually being conducted there?

These details have yet to be established publicly.

Barangay officials have yet to publicly explain whether any inspection or monitoring of the property took place after it was rented out again.

Initial police findings placed the explosion site around 600 to 700 meters from the nearest residential houses.

Two structures stood on the property: a former piggery and the makeshift structure where the explosion occurred.

During follow-up operations, the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office reported recovering raw materials suspected to be used in manufacturing fireworks, alongside finished products, including Baby Rocket fireworks and approximately 300 pieces of kwitis.

Police said their initial investigation indicated that the individuals occupying the property had no permit or authority to manufacture fireworks.

The Urdaneta City Forensic Unit processed the scene, with technical assistance from the provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit. Police Colonel Dennis de Leon, officer-in-charge and provincial director, also visited the area to oversee the response.

Authorities have yet to determine what triggered the explosion or conclusively establish whether the structure was being used to manufacture fireworks or merely store finished products and raw materials.

The blast also destroyed or damaged a pickup truck, a motorcycle, and a tricycle. Police described the pickup as a newly acquired, two-month-old, high-end vehicle. A final estimate of the damage has yet to be released.

Following the incident, the Malasiqui police station plans to issue an advisory to all 73 barangays through the Liga ng mga Barangay.

Sawadan said barangay officials would be urged to monitor new tenants, unfamiliar vehicles, and suspicious activities, particularly in isolated properties.

They were also asked to report businesses or activities that could pose a threat to public safety.

The planned advisory underscores the importance of closer coordination between barangay officials and police, especially when properties change ownership, tenancy, or business use.

The investigation has yet to establish who was operating the suspected fireworks facility, who owned or rented the property at the time of the explosion, and how long the operation had been running. – Rappler.com