2 dead in Pangasinan firecracker explosion

MANILA, Philippines — Two people including a girl were killed and two others were injured when an explosion hit a makeshift firecracker factory in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on Thursday.

According to the city government, the blast occurred at 7:49 p.m. inside a house in Barangay Bacayao Norte.

Mayor Belen Fernandez, who was among those who rushed to the scene, said investigators are looking at the angle that firecrackers triggered the explosion.

She added that emergency responders rushed the two survivors to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“We have long issued a clear message: protect life, stay away from firecrackers,” Fernandez said in Filipino.