Tragic Fire in Binondo Leaves 11 Dead
BINONDO FIRE – A residential-commercial building on Yuchengco Street in Binondo, Manila caught fire on Friday morning, killing eleven people.
A fire in an old mixed-use building in Binondo, Manila, yesterday claimed the lives of eleven people. According to Senior Inspector Michael Ignacio of the Manila Fire District, the victims were discovered in their beds—six on the mezzanine and five on the second floor of the five-story building on Carvajal Street, Barangay 289, Zone 27.
Based on a report from Philstar, Ignacio said that the victims may have been asleep when the fire engulfed the residential and commercial structure.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the first alarm was raised at 7:28 a.m., followed by the second alarm at 8:14 a.m. The firefighting efforts involved fourteen BFP fire trucks, twenty from volunteer groups, ambulances, and a special rescue force. Firefighters had to break windows and force open rolling gates on the ground floor to access the building as smoke billowed from the closed windows on the second floor.
Relatives of the victims and building tenants were left helpless as the fire consumed the building. The BFP declared the fire under control at 9:31 a.m. and completely extinguished by 10:03 a.m. The victims, whose bodies were charred beyond recognition, have yet to be identified. The fire caused an estimated P100,000 worth of damage.
Initial reports suggest the fire may have originated from a canteen on the ground floor, which houses a trading company, a bakery, and the popular hopia brand Ho-Land. A security guard from Ho-Land speculated that a leaking liquefied petroleum gas canister in the canteen might have been the cause, as he attempted to cover it with a damp cloth before the blaze spread.
Radio reports indicated that the building’s fire exit was covered with tarpaulin, used as shade for fruit and vegetable stalls along an alley on the ground floor. The BFP is still investigating the exact cause of the fire.
According to the report, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan announced that the city government would provide psychosocial, medical, and financial assistance to the bereaved families. She also instructed relevant city departments to conduct thorough inspections of all city structures, prioritizing those over 15 years old to ensure compliance with the National Building Code and the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines.
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