A 46-year old man was killed while three others were injured in a fire that razed about 500 houses in Grace Park, Caloocan City Sunday afternoon.
Arson prober SFO1 Benedicto S. Tudla of the Caloocan fire station identified the fatality as Ricky Reyes, a namesake of popular celebrity salon owner and businessman.
Meanwhile, four people were brought to the hospital due to the incident. They were Cristina Navarro (who suffered minor burn); Lea Chua and barangay chairman Antonio Duran (both experienced difficulty in breathing; and Alan Pineda (who sustained wounds).
Most of the houses razed were allegedly occupied by informal settlers.
The fire started at a residential area along Maria Clara Street, reportedly owned by Jojo Esperada, in Barangay 120 at around 5:25 p.m. By 8 p.m., the fire already reached the general alarm.
The fire quickly spread to houses in neighboring Barangays 118 and 119, leaving an estimated 1,000 families homeless. The affected families were sent to five evacuation centers in the city.
The firefighters had difficulty in putting out the fire due to shortage of water supply and strong wind that made the fire spread.
Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan said the affected 1,000 families will be housed temporarily in Bagong Silang. -- Source: Manila Bulletin