7 cats rescued from Makati fire

MANILA, Philippines - Makati City firemen rescued seven cats when a fire broke out in a row of old two-story apartments in Barangay Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City yesterday morning.

City fire chief Superintendent Ricardo Perdigon said the fire started at about 11:44 a.m. at a unit rented by Roy Joseph Raffles, reportedly a lawyer. The row of apartments is located along Lirio street in Palm Village.

Perdigon said the fire that destroyed Raffles’ apartment ceiling soon spread thick black smoke to three adjacent apartments, which sustained water damage by the time the fire was put out at around 12:33 p.m.

“We were surprised to find 10 cats trapped inside one of the apartments. We do not know what breed the cats are but they look expensive. Three died apparently from smoke inhalation,” he said.

Perdigon said the seven cats that survived were reunited with their owner, a foreigner.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated. According to Perdigon, all the firetrucks of the Makati Central Fire Station were deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading.