Friday, November 23, 2007

Kidapawan blast kills 1, injures 5

KIDAPAWAN CITY, PHILIPPINES (11/23/2007) – One person was killed and five others were injured in an explosion that rocked a shopping mall in this city at about 5 p.m. yesterday.
The bomb was placed at the baggage check-in counter at the entrance of the KMCC Mall in Kidapawan City, said Chief Inspector Leo Ajero, the city police chief.

The police authorities, however, claimed they could not say whether the bomb was remotely detonated or was fitted with a timing device because an investigation is still being conducted.

“Police investigators recovered an unexploded bomb in the same area,” Ajero said, without giving details.

Police Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala, provincial police director of Cotabato, identified the one killed in the blast as KMCC employee Boyet Alcazar.

While those injured were identified as KMCC employees Francisco Casia, Randy Singson, student Jeralyn Luis, Aniver Cahindig, and Roderick Cahindig.

The victims were immediately brought to different hospitals in the city.

In a telephone interview with a local radio station, Cotabato Provincial Vice Governor Emmanuel Piňol said, "It's most probably an improvised explosive device."