Today marks the first month since that fateful Friday afternoon where I almost met my Maker. 19 October 2007, at around 1:25PM PST (GMT +8), an explosion shook one of the Philippines' premier shopping malls, killing about a dozen innocent civilians and injuring 112 more.
I had included in my itinerary a day before, that I was to go to the bank before lunchtime to inquire why the hell my new debit card did not seem to be working. And, after that, I was supposed to go to that very same mall which eventually blew up, to have my lunch and then check out any new items that would strike my interest.
The night before, I set my mobile phone's alarm at 10:30AM, but for some reason I only shut it off when it activated. I went back to sleep a few hours more, even though I was no longer feeling sleepy. I was also fully aware that I had to haul my lazy ass to the bank before it closes for the day, or end up stuck with a non-functioning debit card until Monday.
But something was trying to tell me that I should take my time that day, and not be in a hurry to go somewhere or do anything. When I finally gathered the energy to pull myself out of the bed, it was already 12:35PM.
I took a slow, lazy shower, and finished at around 1:15PM. I was getting myself dressed when I heard a soft "thud", at around 1:25PM. I initially thought that somebody from the unit upstairs must have dropped a heavy object onto the concrete floor.
Still not in a hurry one bit, I left for the bank at 1:45 and was surprised how there was already a traffic jam on the major thoroughfare by that time. When I got off the jeepney (I only commute), I saw ambulances and fire trucks rushing towards the direction of the mall. Could be a fire or an accident somewhere, so I thought to myself. As I approached the bank, I noticed that its shutters were already partly lowered even though it was around 50 minutes before their scheduled closing time. I hurried in and was the bank's very last customer for the day.
As I was patiently waiting for my debit card issues to be resolved, that was when I got to hear what had "happened". There was an explosion at the mall, so said some of the bank's employees who had just come back in after some Halloween decor shopping. The mall was closing down early because of the explosion which, the employees said, originated from a Chinese restaurant in that mall. Gas explosion, they theorized.
So right after they finally fixed my debit card I went to a smaller shopping center, which was located near the place where I rent, instead.
It was only when I got to the office later that night that I learned the extent of the damage, by watching the evening news on television. I thought to myself, this wasn't just an "LPG explosion" -- I have seen the damage an LPG explosion had done to a restaurant 18 years ago. This one was way larger.
And the explosion did not happen inside a restaurant, unlike the news that had been circulating earlier when I was still inside the bank.
Ground zero was located right where I usually pass through, every time I go to that mall:
It sent a shiver right down my spine. I could have been right there, if I had forced myself to get up and out of bed when the alarm rang.
Was it luck, or was it something else? A friend told me it was providence. But whatever one might think of what it really is, I can only say that it was a close call for me.
Up until now the authorities have not been clear as to what really caused that explosion. Is the public deliberately being misled by certain powerful individuals? Are we all being lied to; being given the runaround? Innocent people got hurt - and several died - that day. No self-serving, power-hungry reason can ever justify the loss of innocent lives.
May God rest the souls of the innocent, and eternally torture those who are responsible. No, wait - God does not do that. May the Devil always hound those who are responsible and make their existence as miserable as can be.
I had included in my itinerary a day before, that I was to go to the bank before lunchtime to inquire why the hell my new debit card did not seem to be working. And, after that, I was supposed to go to that very same mall which eventually blew up, to have my lunch and then check out any new items that would strike my interest.
The night before, I set my mobile phone's alarm at 10:30AM, but for some reason I only shut it off when it activated. I went back to sleep a few hours more, even though I was no longer feeling sleepy. I was also fully aware that I had to haul my lazy ass to the bank before it closes for the day, or end up stuck with a non-functioning debit card until Monday.
But something was trying to tell me that I should take my time that day, and not be in a hurry to go somewhere or do anything. When I finally gathered the energy to pull myself out of the bed, it was already 12:35PM.
I took a slow, lazy shower, and finished at around 1:15PM. I was getting myself dressed when I heard a soft "thud", at around 1:25PM. I initially thought that somebody from the unit upstairs must have dropped a heavy object onto the concrete floor.
Still not in a hurry one bit, I left for the bank at 1:45 and was surprised how there was already a traffic jam on the major thoroughfare by that time. When I got off the jeepney (I only commute), I saw ambulances and fire trucks rushing towards the direction of the mall. Could be a fire or an accident somewhere, so I thought to myself. As I approached the bank, I noticed that its shutters were already partly lowered even though it was around 50 minutes before their scheduled closing time. I hurried in and was the bank's very last customer for the day.
As I was patiently waiting for my debit card issues to be resolved, that was when I got to hear what had "happened". There was an explosion at the mall, so said some of the bank's employees who had just come back in after some Halloween decor shopping. The mall was closing down early because of the explosion which, the employees said, originated from a Chinese restaurant in that mall. Gas explosion, they theorized.
So right after they finally fixed my debit card I went to a smaller shopping center, which was located near the place where I rent, instead.
It was only when I got to the office later that night that I learned the extent of the damage, by watching the evening news on television. I thought to myself, this wasn't just an "LPG explosion" -- I have seen the damage an LPG explosion had done to a restaurant 18 years ago. This one was way larger.
And the explosion did not happen inside a restaurant, unlike the news that had been circulating earlier when I was still inside the bank.
Ground zero was located right where I usually pass through, every time I go to that mall:
It sent a shiver right down my spine. I could have been right there, if I had forced myself to get up and out of bed when the alarm rang.
Was it luck, or was it something else? A friend told me it was providence. But whatever one might think of what it really is, I can only say that it was a close call for me.
Up until now the authorities have not been clear as to what really caused that explosion. Is the public deliberately being misled by certain powerful individuals? Are we all being lied to; being given the runaround? Innocent people got hurt - and several died - that day. No self-serving, power-hungry reason can ever justify the loss of innocent lives.
May God rest the souls of the innocent, and eternally torture those who are responsible. No, wait - God does not do that. May the Devil always hound those who are responsible and make their existence as miserable as can be.
1 comment:
I'm glad you're safe...I don't wanna lose my big brother. *hugs*
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