A bomb exploded at a busy night market in Davao City at 10:20 pm on Friday, killing at least 14 people and hurting 67 others, according to the latest report from police and local officials.
In a statement posted on the city’s official Facebook page, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte said that 10 victims were confirmed dead on the spot, while two other victims reportedly died at the South Philippines Medical Center.
According to a Davao City police report, the same report that was given to President Rodrigo Duterte raised the death toll so far to 14, while 67 others were confirmed injured from the blast.
“Right now, we cannot yet give definite answer to as to who is behind this as we are also trying to determine what really exploded. It’s a sad day for Davao and for the Philippines,” Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, the President’s son, said.
In a statement, Police Regional Office 11 Director Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan urged everyone to stay calm and to stop “creating/passing misleading or unverified reports to avoid confusion and panic.”
“The PNP is assuring the public that the situation is being handled carefully. A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the explosion and checkpoints/chokepoints were already established at all exit points in the city. We call on all the people to be vigilant at all times and report to the police any suspicious packages or persons,” Gaerlan added in his statement.
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The cause of the blast is the subject of investigation, but according to a GMA News Online report, Army investigators recovered a suspected shrapnel at the site of the explosion.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar also said the same thing in a radio interview, as reported by Agence France-Presse.
“Initial investigations show they found shrapnel from a mortar-based improvised explosive device,” Andanar said.
However, he could not yet confirm or declare that an IED indeed caused the blast.
“No. You can say na mayroong initial report na galing sa isang mortar-based na IED,” said Andanar.
Ateneo de Davao University, which is located close to the night market, also issued a lockdown and a warning to students to stay away from the area of the blast.
“To all the students and bystanders in the Roxas night market, please stay away from the area and give way to the ambulances and police,” the university announced on its official Twitter account.
The Roxas Night Market is frequented by locals and tourists alike because of its food and bargain items.
The hashtag #PrayForDavao is trending on Twitter at the number one spot now, with sympathies and prayers pouring in for the victims, for the city of Davao, and for the entire country.
Sources: (news.abs-cbn.com, gmanetwork.com)
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