20120403 China Fire hits Sta. Cruz slum
Apr 03 2012
Fire hits Sta. Cruz slum
Updated: 2012-04-03-12:00
MANILA, Philippines – A fire destroyed a shantytown and an extension of a condominium building in Sta. Cruz, Manila before noon yesterday.
The fire, of still undetermined cause, broke out at around 11:33 a.m. in a shanty occupied by Enrico de Guzman near the San Lorenzo bridge and quickly reached fifth alarm, spreading to nearly 100 shanties and a three-story extension building of the 12-story Benavidez Gardens condominium.
The fire damaged the windows of the Carlos Arellano High School but spared the Hope Christian High School, which is separated by a firewall from the Benavidez Gardens. The blaze was put under control at around 2:45 p.m. No one was reported hurt in the fire.
Chief Inspector Bonifacio Carta of the Manila Fire Department’s intelligence and investigation division estimated the damage at P1 million.
Trouble erupted when irate unit owners of the Benavidez Garden confronted firemen and fire volunteers for not evacuating them in time. However, Fire Inspector Melchor Pangan said they told the unit owners to vacate their units when the fire broke out but they refused. – Rey Galupo, Sandy Araneta
Philstar
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