TRAGEDY struck in Tondo, Manila, as a grade 5 student died and a grade 7 student sustained injuries when firecrackers they found on the street detonated, according to the Manila Police District (MPD).
The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday near the intersection of Lorenzo Street and Abad Santos Avenue, police reports indicate.
The MPD has not released the names of the victims but confirmed that both were 12 years old and residents of Tondo.
According to the MPD, the students were walking along Lorenzo Street when they spotted firecrackers on the ground. “[The grade 5 student] picked up an unidentified firecracker, while [the grade 7 student] took a piccolo firecracker,” the police stated.
“Upon reaching an area near Abad Santos Avenue, [the grade 7 student] ignited the piccolo firecracker using a disposable lighter. At that moment, both firecrackers allegedly exploded simultaneously,” the MPD added.
Police reports indicate that the grade 5 student died at the scene, while the grade 7 student was injured and transported to Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center for treatment.
