Many of the residents of Isla Puting Bato in Tondo, Manila took to the waters of Manila Bay to escape the blaze that consumed their community on Sunday morning.
In Nico Waje’s report on 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday, almost 2,000 families were affected by the fire that started past 8 a.m.
More than 30 fire trucks responded to the fire, as well as two helicopters that were used to scoop water from the sea, and four fireboats of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Video showed residents taking to the water on makeshift rafts with a few belongings.
“Dito na namin sa bangka dinaan kasi di kami makadaan sa gitna,” affected resident Maria Pagaduan said.
(We used the boats since we couldn’t pass through the fire.)
Some men were seen carrying a coffin away from the scene.
“Nagising kami malaki na yung sunog, Di ko po alam, sir kung paano makabangon ulit,” resident Richelle Loberiano said.
(The fire was already big when we woke. I don’t know how we can recover from this.)
Residents hurriedly salvaged whatever belongings they could.
“Nadaanan ko ito, hinablot ko na lang diretso sabay talon dagat. Kahit paano pwede ko to mabenta para may makain,” affected resident Leonido Dilantar said, holding two roosters.
(I just picked them up and then jumped into the sea. At least I can sell them so that I can eat.)
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection, the fire left about P3.5 million worth of damage.
Authorities are still finding out the number of casualties.
The fire started on the second floor of a house in Purok Tres but authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze.
“Napakahirap po unang-una po yung dami ng tao. Pangalawa yung pong yari ng kanilang mga bahay. Most po ay gawa sa light materials po na madaling magliyab o masunog. Pangatlo po ay yung mga daan, napakaliit po,” said Fire Senior Inspector Alejandro Ramos of the Bureau of Fire Portection.
(It is difficult since there are a lot of people. Second, the houses are mostly made of light materials that easily catch fire. Third, the streets are narrow.)
He added that since the location is beside the sea, the strong winds intensified the fire.
Firefighters also had to use a ladder to put out the fire through the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).
MICT continued normal operations.
The fire was declared out at 4:07 p.m.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development ordered its National Capital Region field office to help the affected residents.
Another fire hit a commercial-residential area near the Dangwa flower market in Sampaloc, Manila at around 6:30 p.m.
It reached third alarm before it was declared fire out at 8:12 p.m. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News
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