7 killed in Malabon fire, one of city’s worst

A 72-year-old man, his daughter and his five grandchildren, including a 2-year-old baby, were killed in a fire that also left about 200 families homeless in Malabon City  early Wednesday.

Authorities said the three-hour fire of still undetermined origin started around 3:30 a.m. from the house of Tomas Cruz, the elderly victim, in a shantytown on Espiritu Street, Barangay (village) Tinajeros.

It also claimed the lives of Cruz’s 38-year-old daughter, Mylene Mateo; and her two children identified as Leilei Mateo, 10, and Raylei, 2.

Three more of Cruz’s grandchildren—the Daliri siblings: Angelo, 17; Angela, 16; and Angelito, 13—also perished. The Mateos and Daliris all lived in the same house with Cruz.

The city’s fire marshal, Chief Insp. Rodrigo Reyes, described Wednesday’s fire as one of the worst to hit Malabon. “I have been assigned here for years and in my experience this is the only fire so far that has claimed as many as seven lives,” he said.

Reyes said an initial investigation showed that neighbors first heard an explosion at Cruz’s house.

“The victims were trapped inside the house as it burned down,” he said. “The fire then spread rapidly into neighboring houses which were all made of light materials.”

A total of 30 fire trucks from Malabon and the neighboring cities of Navotas, Caloocan, Valenzuela, along with volunteer groups, responded.

The fire was declared out around 6:30 a.m., after destroying about 100 houses.

Reyes said it appeared unlikely that the fire was caused by candles left unattended since the houses had power supply and was not known for illegal connections.

Noting his team’s limited manpower, Reyes reminded Malabon residents to always take fire prevention measures by checking their electrical installations and being careful with open flames.