3 dead, 3 hurt in Makati fire

MANILA, Philippines - Three women died while three men were injured when a fire razed a two-story boarding house in Barangay Pio del Pilar, Makati City yesterday morning.

Two of the fatalities were identified as Elvie Longab and her sister, Adriane Longab, 36, according to Senior Inspector Tito Purgatorio, who heads the city fire department’s investigation and intelligence unit.

The third woman, described to be around 20 years old, remains unidentified. 

Elvie was in Makati for an operation in which she was to receive a kidney donated by Adriane, Purgatorio said. The unidentified woman was Elvie’s caregiver, the Makati fire department said.

The three women were from Baguio City and had been renting one of the rooms in the boarding house for the past month.

Three men occupying other rooms in the boarding house were injured: Romeo Guilmar, 21, suffered third-degree burns; Ryan Perez, 28, first-degree burns; and Vicente Tan III sustained second-degree burns on his arms.

Guilmar and Perez were taken to the Ospital ng Makati while Tan was rushed to the Makati Medical Center.

The fire broke out at the boarding house on Santillan street at around 2 a.m. and reached second alarm before it was put out by firefighters two hours later.

The city fire department said the boarding house was old and made mostly of wood. The fire did not spread to adjacent houses. 

An overheated electric fan may have caused the fire, according to the results of an initial investigation.