With the source of the gasoline leak still unknown, a 22-story condominium in Makati City is virtually sitting on a “bombshell” as authorities continue to entertain the possibility of an explosion.

This was the reason why the West Tower condominium in Barangay Bangkal was declared a hot zone.

On Friday, the First Philippine Industrial Corporation (FPIC) declared that the gasoline leak affecting the West Tower condominium and the community of Barangay Bangkal in Makati City is not from their pipeline, prompting the Makati City government to hire an independent body to countercheck the claims.

Engineer Efren Empresso, FPIC right-of-way chief, concluded that their pipelines are not the source of gas leak after exposing and digging more than 40 meters of their pipelines near the West Tower building.

“We are asking the city government to continue our operation and lift the order of their suspension to avoid big problems,” said Empresso, citing possible oil shortage that may affect oil companies in Metro Manila.

The FPIC pipeline, that connects Batangas to the Pandacan Oil Depot, is being blamed as the source of gas leak, prompting the company to expand its digging operations.

Despite Empresso’s claim, Nelson Morales, Makati city engineering, said the FPIC would have to shut down the operation of pipeline for a few more days until an independent office guarantees their findings.

During a meeting on Friday, individual owners of condominium units complained that they are continue to suffer the problem brought by the gas leak and blamed the city government for its failure to solve it.

Currently, the basement of the building is flooded with water, mixed with oil – apparently a mixture of diesel, gasoline, crude, kerosene, among others – that produce gas fumes inside the building.

However, Morales said that “it (situation) is the problem of the management” and the city government is just extending its help for the safety of the tenants and residents surrounding the building.

Morales ordered the management of the building to siphon the water and oil, which is now about four feet high. After that, a soil-boring test will be conducted underneath the building.

The City Engineering Office is eyeing closed mechanic shops and gasoline stations that have operated near the area, leaking pipelines, and the presence of hidden fuel tanks underneath the building as possible sources of the oil leak.

“We do not know, there may be waste that came from old mechanic shops and gasoline stations, which is what we are trying to find out. We are also not ruling out that the pipeline could be the source of leak even if it is 10 meters away from the building,” said Morales.

Meanwhile, wastewater from a Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) contributes to the floodingat the building basement as “the STP and sump pit have only one pump.”

“The STP and the sump pit must have separate pumps as it is designed to periodically remove liquid from them to ensure that it does not overflow,” said Morales.

Makati City Mayor Erwin Jun-Jun Binay has ordered the evacuation of 60 families but many have decided to stay and wait for the results of the investigation.

The Makati City Disaster Coordinating Council (MCDCC), composed of departments of fire, health, social welfare, engineering, and environmental services, city command, communication and control (C3), earlier declared the building a hot zone.