Fire hits Indonesian Cultural Center in Davao

DAVAO CITY — A fire struck at dawn yesterday the second floor of the Indonesian Cultural Center here along Calamansi St. in Juna Subdivision, Barangay Matina. However, no one was hurt in the fire even if the area that was affected was actually turned into a women’s dormitory for students of the Indonesian School separately located in the premises of the Indonesian Consulate offices in the nearby Ecoland Subdivision.

There were reportedly 31 students sleeping at the dormitory when the fire struck at around 4 a.m. yesterday. At least 16 of the students just arrived from the North Sulawesi capital of Manado for an educational exchange program with the local vocational and technological schools here while the 15 others were enroled at the Indonesian School.

"No one was hurt, all the students were safe," Indonesian vice consul Johanes Manginsela told The STAR.

Responding firemen were able to immediately contain the fire preventing it from spreading to adjacent buildings.

"It is only the second floor that was affected but the first floor is still intact," Manginsela said.

The fire started at the ground floor kitchen and spread to the second floor dormitory, rousing from sleep 44 Indonesian students and their teachers. They were safely moved to the Indonesian Consulate about a kilometer away, fire investigators said.

"The students, mostly girls, were either children of Indonesians working in the Philippines or participants of an educational exchange program, Manginsela said.