Girl dies, firefighter hurt at the start of fire prevention month

MANILA, Philippines–The start of the Fire Prevention Month recorded its first casualty following the death of an 8-year-old child in a pre-dawn fire that blazed through a shanty community in Quezon City, a city fire officer said.

Fire Officer 2 Jovelyn Panganiban said fire gutted roughly 30 houses along Evangelista street in Barangay (village) Tagumpay at 4:50 a.m., displacing around 60 families in the area.

The fatality, identified as Ana Relano, was killed after she was trapped inside their burning house.

Panganiban earlier said Dolores Diaz, 70, was killed, but Quezon City fire-Arson department later said Diaz only suffered from difficulty in breathing.

Along with Diaz, volunteer firefighter Angel Ahala was also injured after he fell from the roof he was stepping when it collapsed.

Panganiban said the fire reached fifth alarm before it was put out at 6:20 a.m.

She said investigators have yet to identify the origin and cause of fire.