A 77-year-old woman who had difficulty walking perished in a fire in Muntinlupa City that gutted 15 houses.
According to Marisol Abdurahman’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, the fire hit Marquez Compound Summitville in Putatan, Muntinlupa at around 10 a.m.
The victim identified as Crissanta Arera was not able to escape the burning house of his 84-year-old brother-in-law Ernesto Vibora.
“Paglinga kong ganun, ang laki na ng apoy…Hindi [ko na siya nakita]. Usok na lang sa loob ng bahay,” said Vibora.
(When I turned around, the fire became huge…I was not able to find her. Smoke filled inside the house.)
The fire authorities said the casualty was resting at the house when the incident happened.
“Nasa loob po si nanay, nagpapahinga. Biglaan po pangyayari. May nagsasabing malakas na raw po yung apoy sa loob ng bahay,” said Inspector Roy Arbis, Muntinlupa Fire Bureau chief investigator.
(The elderly woman was resting inside. Everything happened all of a sudden. Some said that the fire had engulfed the house.)
Her sister is saddened by what happened to her.
“Dahil ako’y naawa. Kami na nga lang ang andito,” said Josefina Vibora. “Lumpo ‘yan. Mahina ang katawan. Nakakalakad kaya lang mahina sya, sapul na pagkabata ‘yan.”
(I really feel sorry for her. We are the only ones left. She’s been crippled ever since we were kids. She can walk, but her body is frail.)
Authorities are still finding out the cause of the fire which reached the second alarm. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News
