Philippines: 33 injured in blast during town fiesta

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) - The Philippines’ social welfare department confirmed Thursday that 33 people were injured in a bombing during festivities in a central town, clarifying that there were no deaths.

Authorities say a boxing event was in progress as part of the town’s fiesta celebration when an improvised explosive device was detonated in Hilongos, Leyte province, around 9 p.m. (1300GMT) on Wednesday.

After midnight, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella had cited Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo as saying 10 people were reported dead and 20 injured.

Later in the morning, Taguiwalo clarified that there were no deaths, telling the Rappler news website in a text message, “the info sent to me last night and forwarded to Spox Abella was unofficial."

Her department said that as of 5 a.m., 33 were reported to have sustained injuries in the bombing.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

On Tuesday, four civilians including a six-year-old girl were injured after a grenade was thrown toward a store in Cagayan De Oro City in the north of southern Mindanao island.

The latest blasts took place just a few days after a Christmas Eve grenade attack near a police car outside a Catholic church during a mass in Midsayap town in North Cotabato province.

Security forces in the Philippines and other across Southeast Asia have been on alert in the past weeks, tightening security for the Christmas and New Year holiday season.