5 rescued from medical lab fire

MANILA, Philippines - Firemen rescued yesterday a family of five who were trapped in a burning medical laboratory in Mandaluyong City.

Engineer Isagani Zulueta, 34; his wife, Virginia; and children Isabel, 10, Emmanuel, 6, and Vienna, 2, spent Christmas at the two-story Johnvier Laboratory Clinic building rented by his sister, Normelita. The clinic is beside the Mandaluyong City Medical Center (MCMC).

Senior Fire Officer 1 Victor Tablay said the Zulueta family had been sound asleep when a fire broke out at the second floor of the building at about 1:30 a.m. They ran down to the ground floor, when they realized they forgot the key to the locked steel gate.

The Zuluetas kept on shouting for help until firefighters destroyed the lock.

“There was already thick smoke coming their way and the heat of the fire burned their skin,” said Tablay.

Upon learning of the fire, Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos rushed to the area to supervise the evacuation of patients from the MCMC.

“There was panic everywhere in the hospital but the presence of Mayor Abalos prevented the situation from going out of hand,” said Tablay.