Five Killed, Including a 7-Year-Old Child, After Blast & Fire Hit Suspected Illegal Firecracker Factory in Pangasinan
Five people, including a seven-year-old child, were killed after a blast and fire hit a suspected illegal firecracker factory in Malasiqui, Pangasinan on Wednesday night, November 4, 2026.
The incident happened at around 7:30 p.m. in a structure located at the boundary of Barangay Tabo Sili and Barangay Calbueg, according to Philippine Daily Inquirer. Residents of the two villages reportedly heard a loud explosion before flames quickly engulfed the area.
Malasiqui Vice Mayor Daria Dolores Mamaril initially confirmed in a Facebook live broadcast that at least four people died while one remained missing. A pick-up truck parked near the site was also burned.
By Thursday morning, November 5, the death toll had climbed to five, Bombo Radyo Dagupan reported. Mamaril described the victims as members of one family who were only renting the place.
Based on reports, the site used to be a piggery that had been closed down. The abandoned structure was allegedly rented out and turned into a workshop for making firecrackers.
The vice mayor clarified that the victims were not residents of the barangay, which is why local officials reportedly did not know that firecrackers were being produced there. The site was also said to be far from residential houses.
Only the mother and one child, who were not at the scene when the blast happened, reportedly survived from the family. The identities of the fatalities have not yet been released.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine whether the victims themselves were making the firecrackers or if someone else was supplying them.
The tragedy comes nearly two months before the New Year, when the demand for firecrackers usually rises. The public is reminded to report suspected illegal firecracker manufacturing in their communities to the authorities.
READ ALSO: 9 Lyre Band Members Hurt by Firecrackers During Procession in Quezon
