18 killed in New Year’s Eve fire in Lucena

LUCENA CITY-Eighteen people, including a three-year-old boy, died in a fire that razed nine stalls inside a public market in this city just hours before the New Year revelry began.

Four other persons were injured and brought to the Quezon Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Of the 18 killed, six people were identified most of whom were Chinese nationals storeowners at the Lucena Public Market located along C.M. Recto and Suarez Streets, police said.

The victims were Libranda Tan, 68, Cherry Ong, 29, Angelo Ong, 3, Christine Loyola, 31, Jerry Lou, 42 and Cherry Lou, 40. Their bodies were taken to Funenaria Pagbilao.

Initial reports said the fire started at around 12:30 p.m. after Hajih Ismael, a retailer of firecrackers, lighted a baby rocket inside his store to test its quality.

The baby rocket however landed on a pile of firecrackers in his storage room causing the blaze that reached Task Force Delta.

The fire was put out at around 4 p.m.

The death toll is feared to rise as mopping up operations continued.