In the early hours of Thursday, a devastating fire razed a three-story residential building in the capital region of the Philippines, resulting in the tragic loss of eight lives. One person was also injured in the incident that occurred in San Isidro Galas village, located in suburban Quezon City. The building, predominantly constructed from wood, was engulfed in flames shortly after midnight while its residents were asleep.
Authorities have launched an investigation to uncover the fire’s origin. According to senior fire officer Rolando Valeña, two victims were discovered on the ground floor, while six others were found on the second floor, where the fire is believed to have begun.
Beverly Salvador, a 33-year-old resident, recounted her harrowing escape with her family. As their third-floor room filled with smoke and fire crept in from the lower floors, Salvador, along with her husband and two children, managed to crawl out of a small bathroom window, eventually landing on the roof of a neighboring building.
“I opened our door and saw that the corridor and the stairway going down were already in flames, so I asked my husband to find another way out,” Salvador recalled, expressing her grief after learning about the death of two longtime family friends on the second floor.
This catastrophic event occurred just days ahead of the Philippines’ fire prevention month in March, a period during which the government runs campaigns to educate the public about fire safety amid the approaching hot summer months. Many fatal fires in the country have often been attributed to inadequate enforcement of safety regulations, excessive building occupancy, and poor architectural planning.
A historical reference to the dangers of fires in the region includes a 1996 incident in Quezon City, where a blaze in a disco venue claimed the lives of 162 individuals. Most victims were students celebrating the end of the school term, tragically trapped because access to the emergency exit was obstructed by an adjacent newly constructed building.
