Fire smokes out lovers in motel

MANILA, Philippines - Lovers hurriedly evacuated a motel in Mandaluyong City at the height of the Valentine’s Day celebration Sunday after a fire broke out at the stockroom of the establishment.

Employees of the Bermuda motel located along Sultan St., conducted a room-to-room check informing clients of the ongoing fire, while at the same time asked them to leave immediately.

Initial reports showed that there’s no casualty in the fire that started at the audio-visual room of the motel at about 9 p.m. Sunday. Management claimed that the occupancy of the motel was “high” at the time because of the Valentine’s Day celebration.

The fire reached the third alarm.

Responding firemen from Mandaluyong City and its neighboring cities responded and put out the blaze but not before it gutted down four other rooms.

Jimmy Isidro, head of the Mandaluyong City’s public information office (PIO) said arson investigators are eyeing overloaded electricity that started the fire at the audio-visual room of the Bermuda Hotel along Sultan Street at past 9 p.m. Sunday. Isidro said city Mayor Benjamin Abalos Jr. has ordered an investigation of the fire incident.