Fire in Tondo : 1,500 families now homeless

At least 1,500 families were left homeless in a fire that struck a thickly-populated squatters’ colony in Tondo, Manila, yesterday.

Reports reaching the Manila Fire Department said the fire struck Barangay Happyland at about 10:25 a.m. triggering panic among the squatter residents.

The fire soon swept through the colony and destroyed some 300 shanties made up of light materials.

Fanned by strong winds, the fire quickly spread to other shanties and soon reached the general alarm level. Reports said at least 70 percent of the squatter’s colony located near Pier 18 in North Harbor, was destroyed in the fire.

Reports said the fire grew unexpectedly too big that some responding firetrucks quickly ran out of water. Two firetrucks, one from the Paco Fire Station and another from the Chinese Fire Volunteer Brigade, also burned down after they got stuck in the mud.

There were no deaths reported in the fire though initial reports said at least 20 residents sustained minor injuries.

Arson investigators are still tracing the origin of the blaze. Police, however, said the fire started from the house of an alleged drug addict identified as a Jojo Canienola.

According to Senior Police Officer 1 Romeo Quiros of the Tondo police Station 1, Canienola, allegedly high on drugs, doused his shanty with gasoline before setting it on fire. Canienola then reportedly fled the scene when the fire started. He is now being tracked down by police.

Firefighters struggled to contain the fire which was placed under control at about 1 p.m. and was extinguished some 30 minutes later.

Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza and the Manila Social Welfare Department deployed teams of social workers to conduct relief operations and provide assistance to fire victims.

Atienza, who was presiding over a meeting at the Manila City Hall when the fire broke out, rushed to the scene. "Make sure that their basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing are provided for until they could find more permanent abodes," Atienza told Juliet Villegas, head of the Manila Department of Social Welfare.

As of yesterday afternoon, social workers from the city government have set-up field kitchens and have started feeding the fire victims and distributed relief goods.

The fire victims are temporarily sheltered at the Vicente Lim Elementary School and the covered courts of Barangays 100, 102, 104 and 105, all located near the affected area. — Mike Frialde