Fire hits public market in Hindang, Leyte

A female trader points to the area where she kept her records which are now gone after her store was among those destroyed by the fire that hit the public market in Hindang town, Leyte. -Robert Dejon, Inquirer Visayas

HINDANG, Leyte—A fire of still unknown origin hit the public market here, affecting at least 90 percent of the establishments in the area.

Marible Odias of the business, permit and licensing office (BPLO) of Hindang said 61 of the 108 registered establishments in the public market were destroyed during the fire that broke out at 1:15 a.m.

At least 30 others were damaged, she added.

Among those destroyed by the fire was Neljet Store owned by   Nilo Tampus, where at least P3 million worth of products went up in smoke.

Tampus said the fire happened a day after they received their new stocks of 340 cases of beer and soft drinks, 10 big cartoons of assorted cigarettes, among others.

Also lost in the fire was the list of their creditors, he added.

FO3 Julius Matillano, fire investigator of Hindang, said the blaze started from the videoke joint in the public market and then spread to the other establishments which were made of light materials.

The fire was put under control at 3:40 a.m., and was put out at 6:30 a.m.

A source at the public market said they heard an explosion inside the videoke joint shortly before the fire broke out.

No one was inside the establishment after it closed for the day before midnight.

When they saw the fire coming out from the videoke joint, he added they immediately asked for help from the fire station.

Matillano said the fire reached second alarm, prompting the nearby municipalities of Matalom, Hilongos, Inopacan, Bato, Abuyog, and Javier as well as Baybay City to send in their firetrucks to help control the blaze.