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GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 19 February) – A police officer was slightly injured after a newly recovered hand grenade accidentally exploded inside a police station here on Friday afternoon.
Capt. Abdulsalam Mamalinta, chief of the city police station number 06, said the grenade’s blasting cap suddenly went off moments after it was turned over to their station by a volunteer watchman or tanod of Barangay Bula around 4 p.m.
He said the duty desk officer, Corporal Samson Cael, suffered minor hand injuries as a result of the blast.
“The damage is minimal and tolerable. The injured personnel is safe and was treated by our medical services unit,” he told reporters.
Mamalinta said the grenade was found by concerned residents of Barangay Bula and turned over by the barangays tanods to the police station for proper handling and safekeeping.
He said it exploded after being placed at the table of the police station’s main desk, which is located at the building’s lobby.
The police station and a portion of the Bula road were immediately cordoned following the blast as standard operating procedure.
The police official said the investigation is still ongoing as to what triggered the accidental explosion of the grenade, which was identified as a “hand offensive” MK3A2 type.
He said the city police’s explosive and ordnance disposal unit is currently looking into the circumstances of the incident.
Mamalinta added that none among the detainees situated at the nearby lockup cells were affected by the blast. (MindaNews)
