3 Americans, 4 others killed in Olongapo hotel fire

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines – Seven people died in a blaze that swept through two adjacent commercial buildings in this city’s red light district yesterday morning.

The fire, which started at Dryden hotel and Ram Jungle Club located in Barangay Baretto, occurred around 3 a.m. while most guests were asleep.

The hotel was owned by Dave Fisher, an American.

Fire authorities identified the victims as Patrick Burk, James Brigatti and Joe Valoso, all American retirees; Hyung Ook Kim, a South Korean; a certain Rebecca Perez and two Filipinas who have yet to be identified because their bodies were severely burned.

Sources said that some hotel personnel and guests tried to put out the fire but were unable to find the fire extinguishers.

“We tried using the fire hose but no water came out,” said a foreigner who was a guest in one of the hotels.

Anglito Layug, a disaster response officer of the city government, said that one of the Americans was trapped in a staircase while the two others died in their rooms.

Several firefighting units from nearby towns and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority arrived to help put out the fire that lasted for three hours.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the blaze but they have summoned employees of the hotel to shed light on the incident. – Ric Sapnu, Cecille Suerte Felipe