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“Three dead bodies have been recovered,” Baraguya said in Filipino in a text message to Rappler at around 7 pm, when asked for an update on what is said to be one of the biggest fires to hit Quezon City in recent years.
He said that “more or less 4,000 families” are affected by the fire.
In an interview on ANC on Thursday afternoon, Barayuga said at least 3 are confirmed injured, among them, firefighter Paul Manuel who lost 3 fingers when a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank exploded near him.Manuel underwent a 4-hour operation at a hospital in Manila that day, where doctors were to attempt to restitch his fingers, Barayuga said.
The BFP chief also said in the ANC interview that the initial estimated damage is at P5 million, but this would subject to further validation.
4,000 families affected
The fire reportedly started at around 7 am. The BFP raised a general alarm at 8 am, a signal for all fire-fighting units in Metro Manila to help.
At 10:30 am, the fire showed no signs of abating, prompting the BFP to seek the help of the Philippine Air Force.
The fire was declared under control at 11:19 am, and was put out at 12:45 pm.
The BFP said the fire originated from a two-storey home in the middle of the area.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire but locals say the fire might have been from kwitis, a type of firecracker.
BFP officials said the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
14 fires reported
BFP spokesman Chief Inspector Renato Marcial said in an interview on dzMM the BFP responded to 14 fires following the New Year’s Eve festivities, but were mostly minor incidents. Of these incidents, 4 were verified to have been caused by firecrackers, so far, he said.
Marcial said the big blazes were in Makati City on New Year’s eve, in Malate where a 7-year-old died, and another in a Las Piñas home on Wednesday where 6 people perished.
When asked, Marcial said that the Las Piñas fire emanated from the kitchen of the home, but the cause is still being investigated.
He said the fatalities were apparently due to the construction of the house, which was fitted with grills on the windows. The owners reportedly suffered a traumatic break-in where they were tied up by robbers, prompting them to improve the security of their home.
The security feature, however, became a fire hazard.
“Because they had trauma, they became security conscious and overlooked the safety aspect,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Marcial also reminded the public that in case of fires, one should always put a premium on life and safety over material things.
“If you forget something [in a house on fire], don’t go back. Your life is more important,” he said.
Marcial said the BFP also received reports of other incidents in Olongapo City and Cebu, and that it is expecting more reports to come in within the day. – Rappler.com
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