ZAMBOANGA CITY –Eight people, including four children, died while five others were wounded in a mortar shell explosion in a remote area of Zamboanga del Norte, the police reported on Thursday.
Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, disclosed the incident happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday in Sitio Washington, Barangay Guban, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
The fatalities were identified as the following: Karding Antugon, 23; Toto Simbulaan, 15; Lloyd Simbulaan, seven; Baby Simbulaan, five; Jufer Simbulaan, 16; Junrey Sango, 18; and, Nardo Quimas.
Sango expired while being treated at the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) while Jufer was declared dead on arrival at the same hospital.
Three of the five wounded were identified as follows: Paul Simbulaan, 40; Arnel Malanao, 15; and, Joey Sandigon, 18. They were admitted at the ZCMC.
Investigation showed Antugon, an employee of Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corporation, found a mortar shell at the side of the road and brought it to the employees’ quarters.
Antugon allegedly grabbed a stone and tinkered the mortar shell until it exploded instantly killing six people of the eight fatalities.
Galvez said the police of Sirawai town are conducting an in-depth probe to determine whether the mortar shell was intentionally placed at the roadside and who were the people behind it. (Ely Dumaboc/PNA)
