CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines—A wayward chemical tanker whose driver had fallen asleep sideswiped three vehicles before finally crashing into a row of houses, causing a brief fire in Dasmariñas City in Cavite early Tuesday, police said.
According to Superintendent Ulysses Cruz, Dasmariñas police chief, the driver of the tanker lost control of the vehicle, which sideswiped another truck, a car and a van, all of which were at the Pala-pala junction and all headed towards Tagaytay City, at around 1:30 a.m.
The tanker stopped when it hit three houses on the side of the road. A fire broke out but firefighters were able to put it out after around 30 minutes.
The ten-wheel tanker, which police said belonged to the Absolute Chemicals Inc., carried food-grade alcohol used in the manufacture of liquor.

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – At least 60 workers and residents in Zamboanga City were rushed to the hospital after an explosion at a fishing company ice plant triggered a chemical leak Wednesday night.

The workers and residents experienced nausea and vomiting due to a huge volume of ammonia that leaked from the ice plant of Leo Fishing Company in Barangay Ayala.

The leak also resulted in the evacuation of some 2,000 residents of the barangay.

The victims were brought to a nearby hospital and barangay health center to receive treatment.

The plant’s owner, Ismael Tan, said a heavy ice can fell into and damaged a pipe that distributes ammonia.

AS part of their continuing joint effort to smash secret drug laboratories and storage facilities in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force are offering valuable tips on how to spot an illegal drug lab or a home-made laboratory where millions or even billions of pesos worth of amphetamines are being ‘cooked’

PDEA chair Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. said the following tips can be used by the public in identifying secret drug factories where shabu, Ketamine and other dangerous drugs are locally manufactured.

Once a clan lab is spotted, Gutierrez said an individual can join the PDEA “Operation: Private Eye” which is a reward and incentive scheme designed to encourage private citizens to report to PDEA any suspected illegal drug activities particularly the presence of clan labs and so-called shabu ‘tiyangges’ in their community.

DAVAO CITY -- Classes for both secondary and high school levels at a public school here were temporarily suspended after smoke came out of a boys' toilet inside the campus Thursday afternoon.

Farther north, a real bomb exploded inside a public school campus, although no one was hurt since it was too early for classes when the explosion happened.

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Inspector Jay Francia, of the special tactical platoon of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) special anti-terrorist unit (Satu), told reporters at the City Council on Thursday that they were called in on suspicion that an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at the ground floor of the Stella Maris Academy of Davao high school department around 1 p.m. Thursday.

Classes were suspended while the bomb squad scoured the school's vicinity.

The smoke was traced to a toilet bowl where a half-burned six-inch high mug was found.

Initial investigation indicated that the mug contained chemicals that could cause a burning of sorts when mixed with water. A meter-long yarn was also found in the toilet.

Francia said that apparently, the mug was set up to fall into the bowl when the door is opened.

AT least 300 families in Quezon City were evacuated from their homes after they fell ill after inhaling ammonia that leaked from a nearby ice plant Sunday night.

City police station 2 chief Supt. Audie Madrideo said the residents complained of vomiting, cold-like symptoms, dizziness and eye irritation after smelling ammonia.  

Madrideo said that police personnel and officials from Bureau of Fire Protection and city hall immediately inspected the VCNC ice plant located at 78 Bukidnon St., Ramon Magsaysay, Barangay Bago Bantay.

He said the ice plant shut down its operations to ensure that there will be no more leakage.

Families living within the 330 feet radius of the ice plant were evacuated to a nearby basketball court.

Madrideo said that ammonia, which is used as a refrigerant at the plant, can cause difficulty in breathing, especially among children.

A portion of the second floor of the Palma Hall in the University of the Philippines (UP) was destroyed when fire hit the area last Wednesday night.

Arson probers said that the fire started at 10:50 p.m. in one of the chemical laboratories of the building.

At first, it was thought that what transpired was a case of spontaneous combustion, but Dr. Evangeline Amor, College Secretary of the Chemistry Department of UP, explained that what they had in their labs were merely flammable materials.

She explained that it is the inflammable materials that are the usual cause of spontaneous combustion since flammable materials need a spark first or something to ignite it, to actually cause fire.

Dr. Grace Gregorio, Vice Chancellor of UP, said that they might suspend classes, depending on the recommendations of the arson investigators of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Security personnel of UP tried to put out the fire at first, but they thought better of it when they realized that electricity was still running and they might get electrocuted. A few minutes later, firefighters arrived at the area and began dousing water into the building.

Because of the material contained inside the said laboratories, firefighters of the QC Fire Department mixed chemical with the water that they were using to improve their chances of putting out the fire.

MANILA, Philippines -- A building housing the Chemistry laboratory of the University of the Philippines in Diliman was razed by a three-hour fire late Wednesday night in Quezon City. 

Quezon City fire marshall Senior Superintendent Bobby Baruelo said the Palma Hall Pavilion II of the UP Institute of Chemistry, which also houses the organic chemistry and biochemistry laboratories, was razed by a fire of still undetermined causes at around 11 p.m. Wednesday.

The fire allegedly broke out on the second floor of the building.

Guards valiantly tried to put out the fire using fire extinguishers but were overwhelmed by thick smoke and heat.

UP College of Science Secretary Evangeline Amor told arson probers the fire could have started from flammable and inflammable chemicals stashed in the laboratories. She said the fire could have been started by spontaneous combustion, or a spark somewhere could have triggered it.


Baruelo said that prior to the fire, some people were seen in the building working on unspecified research projects at around 9:45 p.m.

Classes at the building were temporarily suspended yesterday because of the incident, the official said.

No one was reported injured or killed in the blaze even as damage is yet to be determined, according to fire officials. 

Chemical firm shuts down Pasig plant
MANILA, Philippines—Chemical manufacturer CAWC Inc. has shut down its manufacturing plant in Pasig City after a fire hit the facility on Thursday, leaving two workers injured.
At the same time, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) of Pasig City ordered CAWC—a subsidiary of publicly listed Chemical Industries of the Philippines Inc. (Chemphil)—to cease and desist from operating the plant and to stop the demolition activities in the area.

2 hurt in Pasig chemical blast
MANILA, Philippines – Two men were injured when an explosion occurred in a chemical factory in Pasig City Thursday, fire authorities said.
An explosion and ensuing fire was reported at 9:15 a.m. at the Chemphil compound along Elesco Road in Barangay (village) Kalawaan, said the city’s Bureau of Fire.
Authorities identified the injured as Roberto Alonso and Rodrigo Mendoza, both employees of CAWC Corp., the compound’s current occupant.

Philippine Coast Guard Begins Probe Of Fatal Chemical Leak
Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The Philippine Coast Guard has begun its investigation into a chemical leak in an old barge that killed three people and forced thousands of nearby residents to evacuate their homes.
Members of the Marine Environmental Protection Command Hazardous Materials Team and the Specialized Medical Advanced Rescue Team on Wednesday boarded the empty barge docked in Batangas, a province 50 miles south of the capital that is popular for its dive spots.
According to initial findings, the accumulation of curing agent, thinner, epoxy or the so-called sewer gas had caused heavy fumes.
The Coast Guard said the team of investigators will continue its inspection using gas indicator equipment.
A chemical leak is believed to have occurred in the barge, named Kotakinabalu.

Toxic fumes leak in Philippine port kills 3
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
A chemical leak on a barge undergoing repairs killed three workers and prompted authorities to close schools and move to safety nearly 2,000 residents at a northern Philippine port, officials said Wednesday.
The three men suffocated Tuesday while repainting and fixing the docked barge in Batangas port south of Manila, said regional police director Rolando Anonuevo.
Three other workers were hospitalized while authorities temporarily moved about 2,000 people living nearby to a local school.
The gas was probably sodium hydrosulfide, a toxic chemical used in the production of paper and dyes and to process ores, said Philippine National Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon.