2 siblings die in Makati fire

MANILA, Philippines - Two siblings were killed in a three-hour fire that destroyed shanties in two barangays in Makati City at past midnight yesterday.

The charred bodies of Rose Ann Ariola, six, and her four-year-old brother, Robert, were found in the remains of their shanty, city fire marshal Superintendent Ricardo Perdigon told The STAR.

Their father, Manuel, had gone to their stall in the market while their mother was in Cavite. Only the two children were left in the house, Perdigon said.

Firefighters were still mopping up in the sprawling shantytown, which straddles Barangays Cembo and Guadalupe Nuevo, and searching for more casualties, he added.

The Makati fire department reported that the fire started at the home of Aida Ampong, where there had reportedly been a fight. The fire spread quickly, destroying around 500 shanties and leaving at least 2,000 families homeless, according to radio reports.

Perdigon said some firefighters were hurt in the blaze. The fire, which reached general alarm at around 1 a.m., was put out at past 3 a.m. yesterday.

“We are still conducting an investigation on the cause of the fire,” Perdigon said.

Most of the families are staying at nearby schools, while some decided to sleep on the sidewalks of J. P. Rizal Extension.

Perdigon said the city’s social welfare office is still trying to determine the actual number of people affected by the fire.