Navotas ammonia leak kills boy, sends 23 to hospitals

By Jun David

A TEENAGED boy died while 23 people were taken to various hospitals Tuesday morning after an ammonia leak that also set off a fire in a cold storage facility in Navotas City.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, Navotas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) head Vonne Villanueva said the casualty, who had a pre-existing condition, was taken to the MCU Hospital in Caloocan City after complaining of breathing difficulty.

Villanueva said the DRRMO will ask local health officials to investi- gate if the 16-year-old child’s death was directly related to the ammonia leak. Meanwhile, 12 people were taken to Navotas Hospital and 11 others to the Tondo General Hospital after complained about difficulty in breathing. Most however, were sent home after being observed in the medical facilities, Villanueva added.

The DRRMO said an ammonia leak in the mechanical room of the cold storage facility was reported at 11 p.m. on Monday. The Bureau of Fire Protection responded to control the ammonia leak, but the facility caught fire. It reached third alarm