Serendra blast caused by LPG leak

From Business World (Jun 7): Serendra blast caused by LPG leak

AUTHORITIES officially declared on Friday that the explosion in at the Two Serendra condomium in Taguig City a week ago was caused by a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leak, but its source is still unknown.

“In view of all the foregoing, the blast was most consistent with a gas explosion, most likely LPG (liquefied gas petroleum),” said Interior department Secretary Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas, III, in a press conference. “For Two Serendra, the gas that is most readily available and does not require a specialized container is the LPG.”

“The next part of the investigation should pinpoint where the leak came from [and] what triggered the explosion,” said Carlos Primo C. David, part of the team from the Department of Science and Technology and the University of the Philippines-Diliman’s National Institute of Geological Sciences who joined the probe.

Mr. David told reporters that the incident fulfilled the requirements of a gas explosion, such as minimal post-blast residue. He explained that if a explosive caused the blast, there would be parts of a bomb left. This follows the initial report that there the incident was not bomb-related as trained dogs did not find traces of explosives.

The blast was also “almost instantaneous” and covered a large area, similar to gas explosions in the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and California and New York in the US from September 2010 to June this year.

There was also no blast crater found at the site, while fire caused by the explosion disappeared quickly. Nearly no soot was left in the site.

The possibility that diesel or kerosene caused the blast was also set aside as authorities did not find any trace of a container for the substances.

Investigators learned that the unit was renovated last year to convert the property from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom unit. Mr. Roxas said that they are still checking to see if there was other work done in the unit.

Meanwhile, the cabinet secretary suggested that gas systems in buildings in the area be checked to avoid a similar mishap.

“We recommend all residents and establishments of Serendra to immediately have your gas system checked not only in your units but the whole building as well.”

In a related development, authorities have taken the spotlight off Angelito San Juan, who had leased the unit where the explosion occurred. Mr. Juan was earlier declared a “person of interest” by the police.

“What I can say is according to the investigations, testimonies, we consider his behavior normal. [We are] not anymore that interested in him,” Mr. Roxas told the media.

Mr. San Juan, 63, is suffering from second degree burns covering 72% of his skin. He is now conscious but still remains in the intensive care unit of St. Luke’s Hospital in the same city.

Police learned that Mr. Juan is based in the US and has no known criminal history.

The owner of the unit he leased, Marianne Cayton-Castillo, also based in the US, returned to the Philippines on Friday morning.

Mr. San Juan rented the unit through Ms. Castillo’s aunt, Herminia Ochoa, his “batchmate” and the caretaker of the property.

Three people were immediately killed in the explosion when a concrete slab from the condo unit slammed down on a delivery van. 

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Serendra-blast-caused-by-LPG-leak&id=71493