Fire hits Quiapo building

A 50-minute fire destroyed a two-story commercial and residential building in Quiapo, Manila yesterday afternoon.

The fire occurred at the corner of Arlegui and P. Casal streets, one of the routes of the Black Nazarene procession during the celebration of the Quiapo fiesta on Wednesday.

The fire started at around 2:11 p.m. at the second floor stall of the AGS Corp., owned by one John Cruz, according to arson investigator SFO2 Emmanuel Gaspar.

No one was reported injured in the fire, which reached the fifth alarm before it was finally put out at around 2:58 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, while damage to property was placed at P300,000.

Yesterday’s fire was the third to occur in Manila at the start of 2008.

Last New Year’s Day some 50 houses were destroyed in a 93-minute fire in Parola Compound in Tondo. Another fire was also reported on same day in a residential community on Morning Star street, also in Tondo.

Property damage by both fires was estimated at P1.3 million. – Nestor Etolle