A massive fire at a residential area at Santa Cruz, Manila caused P3.7 million worth of damages on Friday afternoon.
According to a “Saksi” report by Jamie Santos on Friday, the blaze at Tomas Mapua corner Lope de Vega caused almost zero visibility while at least five residents suffered minor health complications.
The blaze quickly spread due to the wooden material used on the houses and the strong winds.
Most residents were unable to save their belongings while escaping the fire.
“Narinig ko kasi sa bintana parang may nagsisigawan kaya tumingin ako sa bintana. Pagkatapos, nakita ko maraming tao kaya bumaba na kaming dalawa. Pagbaba namin, yung apoy nasa gitna na eh. Kaya ayun, kinuha ko yung anak ko tumakbo na ko dito. Importante yung bata,” said a resident.
(I heard people shouting so I looked out the window. After that, I saw there were many people so we headed down. When we got down, the fire was already in the middle. So there, I grabbed my child and ran here. The child is more important)
The fire was raised to the first alarm by the Bureau of Fire Protection at 3:22 p.m. and was eventually raised to 2nd alarm a few minutes later.
Due to the size of the fire and thick smoke causing almost zero-visibility in the area, classes at a nearby maritime school were suspended for the safety of more than 100 students.
“Bumaba po kami agad. Bumaba po kami para di po masuffocate sa loob. Nag-alarm po yung ano, pinababa po kami ng teacher,” said student Rosel.
(We came down right away. We came down so that we won’t get suffocated inside. The… alarmed, the teacher made us go down)
Meanwhile, there were no fatalities a firefighter got dizzy and vomited, while one resident was wounded on his right arm. Another resident was reported to have breathing difficulties, while two experienced anxiety due to the fire.
The blaze was declared under control at 5:30 p.m. and declared out around 6 p.m.
The BFP are still conducting investigation on the cause of the fire, while the Manila Social Welfare is working on identifying the number of affected victims and providing the necessary assistance. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/BAP, GMA Integrated News
