Two killed in Sta. Mesa, Manila blaze

A three-year-old boy and a building owner were killed while another was seriously injured when a fire gutted a residential area in Sta. Mesa, Manila past midnight yesterday.

The charred remains of Rusty Resonable were dug up by firefighters from the embers of a two-story residential house at the corner of Valenzuela and Rosal streets in Sta. Mesa.

The owner of the establishment, 48-year-old Lito Eustaquio died after he suffered a heart attack when he was hit by falling debris.

Another tenant, Bonifacia Ramos,64, suffered third-degree burns in various parts of the body and is now in serious condition at the San Juan Medical Center.

Arson probers said the fire started at around 1:30 a.m. at the ground floor of the two-story apartment building owned by Eustaquio. The fire quickly spread to adjacent structures and gutted 70 houses that were made of light materials.

Residents said the boy was left by her mother inside their rented room as panic gripped the residents.

Their apartment was already ablaze when the mother noticed that she left her son inside their rented apartment.

She tried to go back to the burning house to rescue her son, but neighbors prevented her from entering the apartment.

Eustaquio was hit by falling debris when the old man tried to escape the burning apartment.

He managed to leave the house but fell unconscious after suffering from a heart attack. He was rushed to the UERM Medical Center but died shortly due to minor burns and heart failure.

The injured Ramos was rescued by relatives but she suffered serious burns.

The fire was placed under control at around 3 a.m. after reaching the fifth alarm.

Arson probers are still investigating the cause of the fire. Damage to property is still being determined.

Meanwhile, a fire also broke out at a residential area along Diamante and Zapiro streets in San Andres Bukid, Manila at around 2:35 p.m. Friday.

No one was reported injured in the 10-minute fire which damaged a house made of semi-concrete materials.