EIGHT persons, including three children, died and three others were injured in a fire that razed dozens of houses at Barangay UP Campus in Quezon City yesterday morning.
A report from the Quezon City District said the fire broke out at the second floor of a two-story house owned by Apolinario Almo at around 5:38 a.m. and spread to 80 other houses made of light materials
The fire was put out at around 6:35 a.m.
Fire officials said three of the fatalities were children aged three, eight and 10.
The fire displaced about 250 families. The Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office set up tents in two sites in the barangay to house the displaced families.
Fire investigators said they are still investigating what caused the fire. There were unconfirmed reports the blaze was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
A fire officer said the fatalities were able to get out of their homes but ran instead to two dead end areas, leaving them trapped and causing their eventual death.
“They entered dead end (areas). The fire started at the exit (of the compound). So they (fatalities) went there, they may have thought there is an exit there but it’s a dead end,” said Fire Sr. Insp. Lyndon Yap of the Quezon City Fire District.
