3 dead, 2 injured in Tondo fire

MANILA, Philippines – Three residents perished while two others were injured when fire struck a residential area in Tondo, Manila Wednesday morning, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.

Fire Officer 1 Axel Ramos of the BFP – Manila said that fire broke out in a two-story residential building along Honorio Lopez Boulevard at around 6:17 a.m.

The conflagration reached second alarm and was fully extinguished out at 6:55 p.m.

Ramos told INQUIRER.net that the fatalities were identified as Maria Beniza, 21, Leo Tequillo, 4 and Andrei Tequillo, 5.

He said that Beniza was the mother of Leo while Andrei was her nephew.

Two other children, aged 7 and 8, sustained first and second-degree burns.

The fire displaced 20 families and damaged an estimated P50,000 worth of properties.

Further investigation on the exact cause of the blaze is ongoing, Ramos said. /gsg