20140603 Philippines 5 killed in Tondo, Manila fire
Philippines Jun 02 2014 “Houses”
Dead : dead 5 to 9 Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
5 killed in Tondo, Manila fire
Updated: 2014-06-03-06:23
A relative covers with blankets the charred bodies of five victims in the aftermath of a fire on Tuesday, June 3, that razed several houses along Sto. Niño Street in Delpan, Tondo, Manila on Monday night. Roy Lozano
Five people were killed in a Tuesday morning fire along Tahimik Street in Tondo, Manila, radio and television reports said.
Radio dzBB’s Henry Herdillo reported that the fatalities were trapped inside their room in a two-story building. A mini-grocery store was also located in the building.
A separate report from GMA News TV’s News To Go said the victims were not able to get out of the room because the door was locked.
GMA News’ Jay Sabale said the establishment was residential, and that according to neighbors who have been inside it, the door of the room was made of metal.
In the TV report, the fatalities — one male and four females — were identified as:
• sisters Jamaica and Joanna Raset,
• Tin-tin and Jun-jun, who work for the store downstairs, and
• a certain Shayne, a friend of the Rasets.
The fire started before 4 a.m. and reached the fifth alarm, before firefighters put it out at 4:46 a.m. The News To Go report, however, said the fire was put out at 4:26 a.m.
Firefighters had a hard time battling the blaze because of the neighborhood’s narrow passages.
Meanwhile, two men survived the fire by jumping off the building, the same report added.
The men, Marvie Prado and Ronald Bulivar, told GMA News that they tried to force the door open, but it wouldn’t budge. As the fire grew, they decided to jump off the building’s terrace for safety.
“Sinisipa pa namin ‘yung pinto, hindi mabuksan. Hindi naman namin makita, punung puno na ng usok, eh, kaya tumalon na lang kami sa terrace,” Prado said.
According to relatives, the owner of the building is already bound for Manila to attend to the matter. Some members of the victims’ families have also arrived.
Investigators are still determining what caused the fire, as well as the extent of the damage. — Joel Locsin and Aica Dioquino/DVM/RSJ, GMA News
Websource:GMA News Online
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/363867/news/metromanila/5-killed-in-tondo-manila-fire