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MANILA : A powerful blast at a Philippine mall that killed 11 people may have been caused by an accidental gas leak, although a bomb is not being totally ruled out, police said on Tuesday.
Investigators earlier said traces of military explosives were found at the site of Friday's blast at the Glorietta mall in Manila's Makati financial district.
"Our theory is that it was an accidental gas explosion based on the facts and evidence that we have gathered," national police chief General Avelino Razon told reporters after a security meeting with President Gloria Arroyo.
"But we are not totally discarding the possibility that it was a bomb blast," Razon said.
The explosion originated in the basement of the mall and caused massive damage to four floors of the building.
Experts from the FBI, the Australian Federal Police and local police are trying to determine the cause of the blast.
Razon said investigators have not found bomb fragments or a bomb crater at the site of the explosion.
Explosives experts "went through the debris and all the nooks and crannies of the building, they have not found any crater to suggest an explosion coming from a bomb," said Manila police chief Geary Barias.
The investigation is instead "leaning towards an accident" with initial findings showing that a tank of diesel and methane from industrial waste stored in the basement may have caused the explosion, according to Barias.
An initial probe by ordnance experts that said traces of a military explosive were found at the site may have been misleading, he said, adding that such chemicals are found in household products such as hairspray.
However, he would not discount the possibility of terrorism.
Arroyo reiterated at Tuesday's meeting that the deadly explosion "made us more conscious to act on terrorism and strengthen our counter-terrorism (measures)," her spokesman Ignacio Bunye told reporters.
Barias said that Ayala Land Inc., the operator of the mall, could face charges of "multiple homicide and (causing) physical injuries" if it is found to have improperly stored fuel and waste, causing an explosion.
In a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the company said it was "conducting detailed engineering investigation and analysis ... to determine the extent of the damage caused by the incident."
Ayala Land said it was also taking measures to ensure that all the victims and their families were "attended to with maximum care." - AFP/de
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