Makati fire kills septuagenarian couple, 2 others; 70 homes razed

Four persons, including a septuagenarian couple, were killed when a two-hour inferno swept through a row of houses in Barangay Singkamas, Makati City, on Wednesday morning.

City fire marshal Supt. Ricardo Perdigon identified the victims as Dolores Padilla, 75; her husband Jose Padilla, 70; and their neighbor Renato Gregorio, 50.  The identity of the fourth victim was still being determined at press time.

The couple were trapped in their homes and their burnt remains were positively identified by family members, Perdigon said.

Gregorio escaped the flames by jumping out of the window, but he suffered a cardiac arrest and died on the way to hospital, the official added.

Four persons were injured, namely Ramsen Garcia, Francisco Enquera, Marco Mago and Roderick Manlangit.

Investigation showed that the fire started at around 5 a.m. at the ground level of Gregorio’s two-story house at 4014 Kalayaan Avenue.

The blaze, which engulfed at least 70 homes, destroyed about P5 million worth of property, Perdigon added.

“We had trouble getting into the area because of the narrow alleys,” Perdigon told the Inquirer. “When the firefighters arrived, the fire was already big. I could see the thick black smoke there as I left the fire station.”