200 pigs die in Talisay fire

CEBU, Philippines - Some of the 200 pigs inside a warehouse-type rattan factory, which also housed a piggery, were roasted while the rest died of suffocation during an early morning fire in Talisay City yesterday.

About 80 to 100 fatteners would have been sold today as scheduled, according to owner Maximo Lisondra Jr., of barangay Biasong.

Aside from a huge amount of money he lost because of the loss of his piggery, his house, which was adjacent to the warehouse, was also damaged.

To cope with the loss, Lisondra reportedly sold some of the dead pigs at P1,000 to P4,000 each depending on the size, upon his neighbors’ request.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Cesar de la Serna estimated the damage at P700,000.

The Talisay City Fire Station received the alarm about 5:50 and controlled it in 16 minutes. The fire, however, was completely put out at 7:00 in the morning.

Though the incident is still under investigation, De la Serna suspected electrical misuse as the cause. De la Serna said the fire stemmed from the wiring inside the abandoned stockroom of the rattan factory.

The whole warehouse has an estimated floor area of 300 to 400 square meters, most of it was the piggery.

“Balikon pa hinuon to namo ugma kay maluoy mi shock pa kaayo ang tag-iya kay dako ang kwarta nga nawala niya,” de la Serna said. (We will continue with the investigation tomorrow because the warehouse owner was still in shock.)

Aside from the Talisay City Fire Station, a fire truck from the Filipino-Chinese volunteer brigade also responded to the alarm. – (FREEMAN)