6 hurt as man sets house on fire in Manila

Photographs and memories A resident of Launasa Street in Tondo, Manila, retrieves a photo album from the charred remains of his house. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Six people, including a 64-year-old woman, suffered injuries when a fire broke out in a residential area in Tondo, Manila, on Saturday night.

A report from Senior Supt. Jonas Silvano, Manila City fire marshal, identified some of those hurt as Gerald Brown, 38; Nenita Lardizabal, 64; and Imee Parayne, 20.

Brown suffered lacerations while Lardizabal’s blood pressure shot up because of the fire. Parayne, on the other hand, complained of pain in her left leg.

Leizel Miles, 42, and an unidentified resident were both treated for difficulty in breathing while Manuel Corpus, 34, suffered a wound on his finger.

Silvano’s report said the fire started in the three-story house of Aldrin Manansala on Launasa Street at Barangay 155.

Manansala was later arrested after investigators found out he had deliberately started the blaze. He would be charged in court today.

Around 50 houses and 150 families were affected in the fire that lasted for more than three hours.

It began at 8:33 p.m. and reached the fourth alarm 20 minutes later. It was declared out around 11:45 p.m.

The Manila fire department said that damage to property was estimated at around P1 million.