A fire at the Philippine national police headquarters in Manila yesterday ignited ammunition, triggering numerous explosions and injuring at least three firemen and a police officer.

　　Thick black smoke billowed from an old warehouse at Camp Crame, where the police ordnance disposal division had stored some unexploded World War II explosives.

　　Radio reports said the area looked like a war zone.

　　"We thought Camp Crame was being bombed by terrorists," said one visitor to the headquarters who declined to be identified.

　　An initial investigation indicated the fire may have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.

　　National police chief Hermogenes Ebdane said witnesses saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building shortly after a brief electrical outage in the area.

　　"As of this moment, we believe there was no sabotage, although we're investigating," he said.

　　Adolfo Avenido, chief of the national police force's health service, said three firemen and a police officer suffered minor shrapnel wounds.

　　Superintendent Warlito Tubon of the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Division said the building housed ammunition for M-16 rifles, shotguns and pistols, plus weapons documents and other police supplies.

　　"It's fortunate that we have detonated most of these powerful bombs," he said, referring to assorted wartime explosives stored there.

　　Firefighters initially couldn't approach the blazing building because of the loud blasts and popping sounds from exploding small-caliber ammunition. Fumes from tear gas set off by the blaze also hampered firefighters.

　　Shock waves from explosions rocked nearby buildings and rattled windows.

　　The fire was brought under control within two hours, although the building continued to smolder.

　　Hero Vasquez, a 17-year-old train commuter, said he sought shelter at a nearby railway station.

　　"I was inside as shrapnel landed around me," he said, showing reporters two large grenade fragments he collected as souvenirs.

　　(The Associated Press)