On Tuesday afternoon, brothers Klent Dave and Carissa Gadinez were relaxing on the beach when they noticed the seemingly thick smoke on the rocky shore.
The two brothers approached the smoke and saw that the rocks were also on fire.
The siblings ran and complained to their parents out of fear until the news of the mysterious smoke spread on the beach.
On Wednesday, members of the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bauan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Bauan police, municipal environment office, and barangay officials arrived to investigate the scene residents were saying.
They could see no cause of the source of the fire and smoke, but they could smell gunpowder.
A few hours later, Batangas Police-Explosive and Ordnance Division personnel arrived.
And in their analysis, they found that the source of the smoke and fire was the chemical phosphorus, an explosive substance, which reacts to the sun’s intense heat.
‘Mysterious’ smoke on beach in Bauan, Batangas, probed
It was discovered on Monday that a fisherman had fished an old bomb in the area. It was allegedly punctured after being hit.
The fisherman took home the old bomb, and the spilled phosphorus allegedly caused smoke and fires on the beach.
“Natuklasan ng EOD na isa pala itong sangkap ng vintage bomb kasi butas na yung vintage bomb… Sumingaw na yung mga sangkap niya. Yung mga phosphorus, natapon na sa dalampasigan. Tapos yun ang umuusok. Pagdating ng EOD, kinuha ito for proper disposal,” said Police Lt. Col. Karlos Lanuza, chief of Bauan police.
“Ang phosphorus, kapag na-expose sa sun, talagang umuusok siya,” he added.
Authorities have ensured that there is no longer a threat of danger in the area where the smoking occurs.
EOD has also retrieved the old bomb found.
Phosphorus spontaneously ignites in contact with air, producing toxic fumes (phosphorus oxides). Phosphorus reacts violently with oxidants, halogens, some metals, nitrites, sulfur, and many other compounds, causing a fire and explosion hazard.
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