Blaze kills 7 in QC apartment

MANILA, Philippines - Tragedy struck on Christmas Day when flames razed a row of apartment units in Quezon City, killing a family of six and a helper.

Neighbors reported hearing cries for help as fire engulfed the apartments, but the victims were apparently trapped by window grills.

Fire officials said veterinarian Carlos Filamor Sr., who owned the property on Rest Haven Street in Barangay Bungad, and his entire household were killed.

Senior Superintendent Aderson Comar, assistant regional director for operations of the
Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region, said the charred bodies were all found at the unit occupied by the victims.

Aside from Carlos, those who died were his wife Corina, 50; their two children, Carlos Jr., 25, and Eva, 26; Eva’s two sons, Miguel Andrei Mutuc, 13, and Mateo Aaron Mutuc, 14; and family helper Marina Ayon, 48.

City fire marshal Senior Superintendent Bobby Baruelo said the fire was reported to have started at around 5:24 a.m.

Fire investigator SFO3 Jose Felipe Arreza said the unit of the Filamors was located in front of two rows of apartment units that they owned.

Comar said there were two bodies found in each of the two entrance doors of the unit located within the compound. He said the other bodies that were found included one in a room on the second floor, one in the kitchen, one in the ground floor toilet and one in the living room. Another charred body was found yesterday afternoon.

The fire, which started on the ground floor, engulfed 16 two-story apartment units including that of the Filamor family where the doctor also operates a clinic. The charred bodies of a dog and a cat were also found.

Damage to property was placed at P5 million.

Arson investigators could not yet determine the cause of the fire. Baruelo said the flames quickly spread to the units since there appeared to be no firewalls and the upper floors were made of light materials.

He said the situation could have been worse if the fire had reached a nearby a carton factory.

Firefighters placed the flames under control at around 6:30 a.m. and declared the fire out at 6:58 a.m.

Another fire hits San Juan

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man was reportedly beaten to death by angry residents on suspicion that he was the one who set fire to their houses in a slum area in St. Joseph, San Juan City.

The fire that razed at least 800 houses started at 2:25 a.m. and was declared out at 7:20 a.m.

An estimated 4,000 individuals were rendered homeless and 19 persons were injured.

Police Officer Clifford Hipolito identified the casualty as Michael Muñoz, 32, also a resident of Marne street, Barangay St. Joseph.

Muñoz died from severe head injuries and fractured bones. Hipolito would not confirm if the victim was indeed responsible for setting the fire.

“This information is still very raw. We cannot immediately conclude that there was arson involved. We have yet to talk to the wife of Muñoz who witnessed her husband being beaten black and blue by his relatives and drinking buddies,” Hipolito said.

He said he also received information from a witness claiming that he heard a boy asking his mother why she tossed a lighted candle into their clothes.

However, Chief Inspector Gilbert Dolot, chief of the San Juan Fire Department, ruled out arson, saying the fire was caused by an unattended candle at No. 41 Marne street. The house was owned by a certain Francisco Paulete and was being rented by Edtolyn Borja.

Dolot said the three-story house where the fire started was made of light materials, which is why the fire spread rapidly to the other houses in the area.

– Non Alquitran, Jose Rodel Clapano