1 dead, 6 hurt as fire hits 23-story Parañaque condo

PROBE ONGOING The cause of the fire that gutted the top floors of the First Pacific Coast Plaza condominium is still under investigation. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philipines — A woman was found dead while six persons were injured after a fire gutted the top floors of a condominium building in Parañaque City on Monday.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the lone fatality as 80-year-old Zenaida Uno. Her charred body was found on the 21st floor of the 23-story First Pacific Coast Plaza condominium on 1st Villamar Street in Barangay Tambo.

Six other residents were taken to the hospital for light injuries and difficulty in breathing. Five of them were identified as Henry Sablay, 44; Edgardo de la Cruz, 51; Ely Sabar, 31; Jeremiah Tee, 27; and a Chinese man known only as “Cheng.” The BFP has yet to give the name of the sixth person.

Two dogs were also rescued on the 21st floor of the building. Firefighters, however, were still looking for their owners.

Supt. Robert Pacis, Parañaque fire marshal, said the blaze started at 11:56 a.m. on the 21st floor in a unit owned by a man identified only as Fernando. The flames, however, crept down to the 18th floor and all the way up to the 23rd floor.

All hands on deck

At 12:37 p.m., the fire alert was raised to the highest level of general alarm, which meant that all available fire trucks in Metro Manila were being asked to rush to the scene.

At 2:30 p.m., firefighters had the blaze under control although at press time, they had yet to put it out completely.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Senior Supt. Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan Tiu, BFP-National Capital Region director, said they would also try to determine why the sprinklers in the condominium did not activate during the blaze.