Manila Standard Today, December 22, 2006
A seven-hour fire injured a 17-year-old man and displaced 327 families late Wednesday afternoon in Muntinlupa City.
Ben Anthony Reyes, resident of Sitio Salvacion, suffered cuts in his right foot when he tried to save his belongings.
Fire Officer 2 Marlon Santos, investigator, said the blaze, which left at least P5 million worth of damage to property, started at 5:15 p.m. at the second floor of Danny Babansad’s house located on Sitio Salvacion, National Road.
The fire was declared out 12:55 a.m. yesterday, raising the alarm to “Task Force Foxtrot” which called in Bureau of Fire Protection teams from several cities and provinces.
Santos said arson probers were sifting through the debris to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jaime Fresnedi mobilized the city disaster coordinating council and other departments to relocate 1,837 people to nine evacuation centers, including temporary facilities at the Josefina Paradina Amante covered court, Jesus the Good Shepherd Church and Planas Compound.
The Sitio Salvacion Day Care Center which Fresnedi built to house 60 wards was also razed.
Health officers were also fielded to prevent any disease outbreak among the evacuees.
“It is hard to rebuild [what] you built out of your perseverance and hardship but life has to move on,” said Fresnedi, vowing to bouy up the spirits of the victims in this season of glad tidings.
