Home for aged razed; 1 killed

An 80-year-old woman perished in a fire that razed the Golden Acres Home for the Aged in Quezon City yesterday early morning.

The fatality was identified of Asuncion Rosal. Arson investigators said the victim was trapped in one of the quarters of Golden Acres located at Misamis Extension, Barangay Santo Kristo, Bago-Bantay, Quezon City during the fire.

Chief Inspector Ricardo Clemence, of the Quezon City Bureau of Fire Investigation unit, said the blaze started at 1:03 a.m. inside the social hall while the elderly residents were sleeping soundly.

Clemence said a lighted candle on the altar of the chapel inside the social hall must have fallen on combustible materials and started the fire that suddenly engulfed the area.

Security Guard Alfredo Clemenia said he saw the ceiling of the social hall in flames prompting him to alert the staffers and evacuate those staying at buildings A and B.

Investigators said the Golden Acres residents were leaving the building when Rosal told her companions that she forgot to bring along with her a wallet containing P350 which she received as gift from visitors who visited them last Christmas.

Her companions tried to prevent Rosal, who was deaf, from returning to the quarters but she was able run towards Building B. The staffers said they did not notice Rosal return to the building.

Senior Fire Officer 2 Virgilio Agtawa, case officer, said the fire quickly spread to Aurora Hall Cottage A and B and prevented the staffers from rescuing Rosal out of the burning quarters.

The blaze was placed under control at around 1:43 a.m. A fireout was declared around 2:10 a.m.

Divina Ramirez, Golden Acres head, said the senior citizens housed in the female quarters would occupy another building.

She said that their stock room was also damaged by the fire. Supplies like disposable diapers, canned goods and other needs donated to the institution last Christmas had just been placed in the stock room.

Meanwhile, tension gripped a local government’s halfway home for indigents in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City when an alleged drug-crazed man set the house on fire before dawn yesterday.

Investigators said no one was reported injured in the incident at the Tahanang Mapagpala Compound, Barangay 171, Bagong Silang Caloocan City, which took place at around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Investigator-on-case Police Officer 3 Constantino Guerrero said five-year-old Erick Bandola was awakened by the fire and alerted the occupants of the center.

Upon seeing the blaze engulfing a portion the building, Bandola screamed for help and awakened other occupants of the building.

He later joined them in putting out the fire with the use of water containers. The Caloocan City police has launched a manhunt for the suspect who started the fire. – Cecille Suerte Felipe