Water pump spews flames in Calinog town
A water pump in Brgy. Carvasana, Calinog, Iloilo became a source of discourse after it discharges, not water, but flames.
Francisco Perez, the owner, claimed that they discovered the distinct characteristic of their pump by accident last Friday.
“May naga-lango-lango nga masingi kuno sang sigarilyo. Kay malapit sila sa bomba, ginsindihan nila ang baba sang bomba, amo to nga ang nag-guwa kalayo,” he narrated.
Until now, residents in the area are still puzzled by such phenomena.
But more than knowing what cause the blaze, village residents are more keen on knowing if the said occurrence has some harmful effects on the health.
They claimed that the area was not a dumping ground of trash. So, they could not rule that the flame was cause by some methane gas deposited on the ground.
Even Calinog Mayor Alex Centena was also startled by what happened.
He is not discounting the possibility that there could mineral deposits or gas within the area where the pipes were connected to the pump.
“But I will coordinate with the proper agency to look into the matter within this week,” he added.
It was gathered that the municipality of Calinog distributed some 300 water pumps before the election to mitigate the effect of the prolonged dry spell in Iloilo province.
Of the said number, only the one given to the Perez household spewed flames.
“More than a curse, it could be a blessing. We could not be certain if the area is a source of gas, crude oil, or something. It could help us in our livelihood,” he added.
Meanwhile, some elders in the area claimed that a group of Americans conducted some study on the soil some 30 years ago in the village.
They claimed that the recent incident might be the reason for such exploration.
