Sexagenarian dies in squatter's area fire

MANILA, Philippines - A bedridden 68-year-old man died after he was trapped in his burning shanty during a fire that razed a squatter’s area and left 200 families homeless in Quezon City early yesterday.

The body of Cesar Arabella, “had shrunk when we found it. It was completely charred and if not for the exposed innards, it would have been difficult to distinguish it from the burned debris,” Police Officer 3 Joselito Gagaza told reporters in an interview.

The fire started at around 1 a.m. in a house owned by Elena Sangre, who had rented out a room to a certain Fidel.

“The room reportedly did not have power connection and the occupant lit a candle but left it inside when he went out for a drinking session with friends,” Gagaza said.

According to Gagaza, Arabella was alone and occupying a rented room just across the house where the fire started.

Gagaza said Arabella’s room was on the second floor. The flames caused the flooring to collapse and Arabella was buried under the debris.

The blaze destroyed about a hundred houses in the slum community in San Roque, Barangay Bagong Pag-asa. Fire officials pegged the fire damage at around P10 million.

Firefighters were able to put out the flames by 6:30 a.m. – Reinir Padua