Fire destroys 229 houses, injures 7 in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — At least 229 houses were razed in a fire that broke out Friday afternoon in Calle Punta, a slum village in Barangay Camino Nuevo here.

Supt. Christopher Morales, district fire marshal, said seven people were also injured in the third alarm fire that raged for an hour before it was declared under control.

Morales said the fire spread quickly among houses made mostly of light materials. Members of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and Red Cross immediately attended to the injured individuals, he added.

Fire investigators are still determining the cause of the blaze. They have initially estimated the damage to property to be at P12 million.

Socorro Rojas, City Social Welfare Development officer, said the 736 individuals affected by the fire were accounted for and evacuated to the barangay evacuation center. The victims were given relief items that include mats, blankets and hygiene kits.

Rep. Khymer Olaso also assisted the victims with cash and relief assistance.