Quezon City fire kills 3, leaves thousands homeless

MANILA, Philippines - New Year celebrations were marred by fire incidents believed to have been caused by firecrackers in several cities in Metro Manila.

A fire spread through a residential area in Barangay Apolonio Samson in Balintawak, Quezon City at around 6:45 a.m. yesterday, leaving three dead.

Quezon City Fire Marshal Superintendent Jesus Fernandez said 800 houses were engulfed in flames and 2,000 families were affected.

Three people were reportedly killed – Evangeline Nicosia, 16; Arnold Tusi, 50; and Tirso Romano, 39 – while five others were injured in the incident.

The injured were identified as Rommel Balmaceda, Kenard Banba, Artemio Galang, Joel Soriano and fire volunteer Paul Manuel.

Manuel was rushed to the Chinese General Hospital with a severed hand after he was hit by debris from liquefied petroleum gas tanks.

He was among the first to respond to the scene, Fernandez said.

According to village officer Noel Cariño, the fire was apparently sparked by firecrackers set off by children and spread quickly by strong winds through a row of shanties.

More than 100 fire trucks responded to the incident, which was raised to general alarm by 8 a.m.

A general alert status means that all available fire trucks must respond to the scene.

The fire was declared out around 12:45 p.m.

In Malate, Manila, a seven-year-old son of an overseas Filipino worker died in a fire that hit a slum area during the revelry.

Senior Fire Officer 4 Joseph Jaligue said the boy’s body was discovered by relatives on the second floor of the house after the fire was put out.

The fire broke out in the neighborhood around 2 a.m., while the boy was alone in the house and his relatives were greeting the new year on the streets.

The boy’s mother is in Jordan and, being new on the job, was not allowed a holiday vacation. The body was brought to a funeral parlor along Pedro Gil Street.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has pledged support for the 4,000 families who lost their homes in the fire in Apolonio Samson.

“In the short term, we are providing food and medication of the evacuees,” Bautista said in a text message to The STAR.

“(We will also) account for the number of families who are qualified for housing by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the city government,” he added. – Janvic Mateo, Mike Frialde, Non Alquitran, Aie Balagtas See