Woman, 3 kids die in Manila fire

MANILA, Philippines - A woman and her three children died in a fire that destroyed a residential-commercial building in Tondo, Manila on Sunday night.

Witnesses said Edilyn Verzosa-Sunga and her children Edison, 7; Mikaela, 6; and Markie, 4, were sleeping in their unit at the building housing the New Oriental Market when she noticed sparks coming from the door, according to Senior Superintendent Jaime Ramirez, city fire department chief. 

Sunga, who owned a stall at the market, woke up the other tenants while trying to put out the spark so her children could escape, he said.

However, the spark spread and flames engulfed the entire structure and another building, trapping Sunga and her children.

Ramirez said two others were injured during the fire, which started at past 11 p.m. and reached Task Force Alpha before it was put out at around 6 a.m. yesterday.

Firefighters took several hours to extinguish the fire because liquefied petroleum gas tanks exploded and flames spread along power lines, he said.

Investigators estimated that the fire destroyed around P5 million worth of property. They are investigating whether the illegal power connections rampant in the area could have caused the fire. 

More than 50 families were left homeless by the blaze.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada ordered the distribution of relief goods to the victims of the fire.

City engineer Robert Bernardo said the building housing the New Oriental Market had been classified as “condemned” by the Department of Public Works and Highways many years ago.

Estrada said the incident only justified his plans to rehabilitate the city’s public markets through a joint venture agreement with private developers.

“All of these old public markets are virtual fire traps. It would be devastating if there would be more lives lost if we don’t act now and modernize our markets,” he said.

Estrada said no stall owners or vendors will be displaced by the project.

Under Ordinance 8346, several of the city’s 17 public markets will be demolished to pave the way for their rehabilitation. Among those eyed for immediate rehabilitation are the city-run public markets in Quinta, Sta. Ana, Sampaloc, San Andres, Trabajo, Pritil, Dagonoy and Paco. – With Jose Rodel Clapano