Tondo fire: 2 dead,  2 hurt

Two male workers died, while two others were injured when a 30-minute fire razed an old-fashioned rice cake (puto) bakeshop in Tondo, Manila early morning yesterday.

Arson investigators identified the fatalities as Dodo Coyoca, 39; and Victor Liwanag, 28, both stay-in workers at the bakeshop located at the ground floor of a two-story residential-commercial building on Sandico street.

Those injured were identified as Alex Mallari, 34; and Joctan Coyoca, 20. They sustained third-degree burns on their arms and faces.

The fire started at around 6:04 a.m. at the bakeshop owned and operated by Danilo Liwanag, according to SFO2 Emmanuel Gaspar.

Witnesses said the fatalities were trapped inside the burning bakeshop. Others said the elder Coyoca had already left the burning structure, but decided to come back when he noticed that his younger brother Joctan was missing. He was instead trapped, not knowing that Joctan managed to get out.

Only the structure, owned by Ricardo Bautista, was gutted by the fire which reached the fifth alarm. The fire was finally put out at 6:32 a.m.

Arson investigators are still determining the origin of the fire. Damage to property was placed at P300,000.

Meanwhile, a one-hour fire destroyed a handicraft store in Malate, Manila Wednesday evening.

No one was reported injured at the fire that started at around 5:45 p.m. at the ground floor of the Truly Asia Handicraft located on J. Nakpil street in Malate. Remedios Esquerres owned the two-story structure.

The fire was extinguished at 6:32 p.m. after reaching the fifth alarm.

Damage was estimated at around P250,000, while the cause of the fire remains unknown.       – Nestor Etolle