And to think that it’s Fire Prevention Month.
“At around 3:30am on Wednesday, Mar 12, a fire of still undetermined origin started from the house of 72-year-old Tomas Cruz in a shantytown on Espiritu Street, Barangay Tinajeros in Malabon City,” reports Nathaniel R. Melican in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Cruz, his 38-year-old daughter, Mylene Mateo and her two children identified as Leilei Mateo, 10, and Raylei, 2, as well as Cruz’s other grandchildren, Angelo, 17; Angela, 16; and Angelito, 13 all died in the fire. They had all gotten trapped in their home. The fire also spread to their neighbors, eventually rendering about 200 families homeless.
Malabon City fire marshal, Chief Insp. Rodrigo Reyes, said, “I have been assigned here for years and in my experience this is the only fire so far that has claimed as many as seven lives.”
The report revealed that “a total of 30 fire trucks from Malabon and the neighboring cities of Navotas, Caloocan, Valenzuela, along with volunteer groups, responded.” The fire was declared out by 6:30am.
