Fire razes Misamis Oriental provincial health office

MANILA, Philippines — Fire hit the provincial health office of Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao where COVID-19 vaccines are kept on Wednesday night, authorities said.

Misamis Oriental Public Information Office said the fire razed the health office and other buildings near it inside the province’s capitol compound.

In an interview with radio DZBB, Senior Fire Officer II Imelda Barasan said the fire broke out at around 6:38 p.m, which allegedly originated from a nearby kitchen.

Barasan said 30 vials of COVID-19 vaccine were stored in the office. According to a report of the Philippine News Agency, the jabs that were kept there were those developed by Sinovac Biotech.

The blaze was put out at 8:54 p.m.

“As of the moment, there is no result yet of the initial investigation for the main cause of the fire incident,” the province’s PIO said.

Fire damage was estimated at P1.4 million. — Gaea Katreena Cabico