3 women medical interns die in Ecija fire

CABIAO, Nueva Ecija, Philippines – Three women medical interns were burned alive while another was rescued when fire of still unknown origin burned down a clinic here early morning yesterday, destroying an estimated P2 million worth of medical equipment and property.

Chief Inspector Peter Madria, Cabiao police chief, identified the fatalities as Cecille Quintos, 25, of Parañaque; Jen Morillos, 22, of Las Piñas; and Jessa Perez, 24; of Sta. Maria, Bulacan, all medical students of the St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City. They all died from third-degree burns in the fire that gutted the Cabiao Community Clinic in Barangay Sta. Inez here.

A fourth medical intern, Miguel Ramos, was rescued by responding firemen and was rushed to the St. Luke’s Hospital. The four were working as interns or “junior doctors” who recently graduated from medical school and are receiving practical supervised training at the CCC.

Madria said the four were just on their second week of internship when the fire broke out. 

Fire Officer 3 Baby Boy Esquivel, town fire marshal, told The STAR that they are still investigating the cause of the fire which broke out at 2:45 a.m. at the clinic’s second floor. He said the four may have fallen asleep and were awakened when the fire had already spread, burning medical equipment, appliances and other property.

“They may have been taking their sleep at such an unholy hour because if they were awake, they could have immediately gone to the nearest fire exit,” Esquivel said. He said the three apparently died of suffocation after getting trapped inside the comfort room of the clinic’s second floor.

Esquivel ruled out arson as the cause of the fire, saying if it were so, then arsonists would have also burned the ground floor. “We are looking at faulty electrical wiring or a gas stove that exploded inside the building,” he said.

Responding firemen from the nearby towns of San Isidro, Jaen and Gapan City were able to put out the fire at 3:50 a.m. – With Ric Sapnu