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In the confusion, nobody was able to stop her.
“A 65-year-old woman named Ester Artaniel — who had already emerged from her burning house at the height of the fire in her community along Damayan Street in Old Balara, Quezon City on Wednesday noon, April 22 — died after she decided to go back into the house because she wanted to save some important documents,” reports Julliane Love De Jesus on Inquirer.net.
The report noted: “Witnesses say that even as the blaze raged, Artaniel insisted on retrieving her ‘papers’ and sprinted back into her burning house. She did not get out alive.”
Superintendent Jesus Fernandez, Quezon City fire marshal, revealed in a phone interview with Inquirer.net: “Palabas na sana siya. Bumalik siya sa bahay niya para kunin daw ang papers niya.”
Meanwhile, Fernandez said all the other members of Artaniel’s family who lived with her survived the fire, including her husband.
The report explained that the fire started around 11am and reached third alarm. It only lasted for an hour. Aside from Artaniel, there were no other casualties. Only two people reported minor injuries.
The Bureau of Fire Protection has yet to determine the cause of fire that rendered 150 families homeless.
Photo: MorgueFile
