CEBU CITY, Philippines -– Some 2,000 people were rendered homeless in a fire that hit a thickly-populated area in General Genes St. in Barangay Suba, Cebu City on Friday morning, the biggest so far during the month observed as Fire Prevention Month.
Fire officials said at least three persons were injured while scrambling to safety.
Some individuals sustained minor burn injuries, while an elderly resident reportedly suffered from a heart attack.
Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar said at least 153 houses, mostly made of light materials, were gutted, while four others were damaged in the closely packed area, causing damage initially placed at P1.1 million.
Comar said they received the alarm at 7:16 a.m. and declared the flames under control at 8:40 a.m. Mopping-up operations continued until Friday afternoon.
The blaze, which allegedly started inside a house used for pot sessions, was raised to a Task Force Alpha alarm.
Investigators still have to confirm reports that the fire began when an unattended lamp was knocked over by a child.
Narrow alleyways, live wires, and the rush of moving residents made it hard for firefighters to do their jobs.
Comar also raised as among their problems a broken-down fire truck placed in nearby San Nicholas Police Station.
“The lack of equipment is an old issue. We can do nothing about it. Our solution is to maximize what we have,” Comar said.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he wants the three-meter easement from the creek in Barangay Suba to be restored and the entire area re-blocked, so fire trucks and other large vehicles won’t find it hard to enter the community when needed.
“But it doesn’t mean they will be dislocated since most of them belonged into the housing project. However, I am urging them to follow our orders for everyone’s sake,” he said in Cebuano.
Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, South District) visited the area Friday and promised to hand cash assistance of at least P10,000 each to families whose houses were destroyed.
The Pasil Fish Port and the barangay’s sports complex were used as temporary shelter for the survivors, said Suba Barangay Captain Rogelio Resurreccion.
A state of calamity was declared Friday for the swift release of funds that will serve as aid to the fire victims.
The city government’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) monitored and distributed packed breakfast, lunch and supper to the affected families on Friday.
source: interaksyon.com
