Twin fires hit Manila

Two fires successively hit Manila yesterday, damaging a commercial building in Paco and a row of shanties in a Muslim community in Quiapo.

The worst of the two fires occurred at the Islamic Center in Quiapo, which razed some 70 houses, leaving an estimated 150 Muslim families living near the river banks along Globo de Oro near the Manila Golden Mosque homeless.

A fire volunteer, identified as Al Romogosa, 30, reportedly suffered a fractured waist while battling the Quiapo blaze.

The first fire was reported at around 10:47 a.m. at the office of the Primary Pacific Orient, a travel agency, at the second floor of the Dolmar Building along United Nations Avenue in Paco.

The fire reached the fifth alarm before it was placed under control at around 11:30 a.m. Damage to property was placed at P500,000.

Two hours later, a fire broke out at the Islamic community in Quiapo near their Golden Mosque.

Arson probers said the fire occurred at the second floor of the two-story residence of one Hassan Tangote along Globo de Oro.

The fire quickly spread to adjacent shanties made of light materials along the river bank. Responding firetrucks had a hard time entering the narrow lane where the burning houses were located.

Firefighters, however, prevented the fire from engulfing the Golden Mosque, a place of worship for thousands of Muslims in Manila and nearby cities.

The fire was finally put out at around 3:27 p.m. after reaching the fifth alarm.

Damage to property was placed at P1 million, while some 150 affected families were temporarily housed at the Golden Mosque compound. — With Evelyn Macairan