Relief continues for Pasay fire victims

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said yesterday relief operations continue to be conducted for some 1,517 families displaced by Monday’s blaze in Pasay City.

Delia Camacho, DWSD-Pasay City administrative officer, estimated that they would be providing food and shelter assistance to some 7,585 people until Sunday since it might take those who were affected five more days before they can rebuild their homes.

Camacho said they have set up three evacuation centers, namely; the Baptist Church, where there are 778 families; the abandoned BLTB bus terminal, which now houses 721 families; and the Ochoa Compound with 18 families.

"Wala nang tao sa may Light Rail Transit (LRT) at overpass. Pinababa na namin sila at nandoon na sila na mga evacuation centers. It is also only natural for some of the people to return to the site of their old homes," Camacho said.

During their stay at the centers, the DSWD, Red Cross, city government of Pasay and civic groups have been providing food rations, tents, old clothes and financial assistance to the fire victims.

Camacho added that even Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad might provide financial assistance of P5,000 to P10,000 per family to help them in building new houses.

"However, the site of the fire is government owned and they might not be allowed to return. They might be advised to look for another place to stay or we would open a proposal for them to return to their respective provinces. But they might not want to leave the area because it is near their children’s school or their place of work," she said.

Trinidad has been sending medical teams to all the three evacuation centers. So far, there has been no outbreak of any disease.

Meanwhile, two persons were seriously hurt and an estimated P10 million in property went up in smoke during a three-hour fire last Tuesday at an insecticide plant in Valenzuela City.

Currently being treated for third degree burns in various parts of the body were Jerome Guidanes, 23, and Eddie Boris, 24, stay-in workers of Bismarc Industrial Factory, maker of various insecticides at J.B. Juan street in Barangay Ugong.

The victims are confined at the Valenzuela City General Hospital.

Arson investigator Fire Officer 3 Arnel Ibasco said that the blaze broke out at 9.38 a.m. while the victims were reportedly mixing chemicals .

The combustible chemicals they were preparing accidentally caught fire from a nearby electric ventilator.

The fumes emanating from the chemicals ignited the electric fan which later exploded, injuring the two workers and resulting in a bigger blaze, Ibasco said.

Flammable substances inside the building caused the flames to spread quickly and engulfed the entire plant and adjacent establishments, including the Chancellor Packaging Corp.

Valenzuela City fire marshal Chief Inspector Efren Yadao said that at least nine vehicles including a forklift were also destroyed.

Yadao said the firefighters were able to put the blaze under control at around 12:07 p.m.

He said firemen had difficulty in battling the blaze because they lack the proper equipment in fighting chemical fires. — Evelyn Macairan, Pete Laude