Family of 5 survive clinic fire in Mandaluyong

MANILA, Philippines — A family of five survived a fire that broke out early Wednesday from a clinic in Mandaluyong City where they were staying, a fire official said.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Victorio Tablay identified the survivors as Isagani Zulueta, his wife Virginia, and their three children who were temporarily housed for the holidays at the Johnvier Laboratory Clinic along Boni Avenue in Plainview village that was owned by Isagani’s sister Normelita Zulueta-Villarico.

The family told investigators that smoke came from the electrical outlet inside the clinic at around 1:40 a.m. while they slept.

Tablay said that the Zulueta family forgot to bring the key to the gate of the building where the clinic was as they rushed out.

“Luckily, the responding team was able to open the gates and tend to the family who suffered trauma and nearly suffocated from the thick smoke,” Tablay said.

The arson investigator said that the blaze reached third alarm before it was put out by firefighters at around 2:38 a.m.

He said that fire only affected the second floor of the two-story building and estimated the cost of damages to be around P300,000.

The building itself was adjacent to the Mandaluyong City Medical Center, which moved its patients to safer ground, said Tablay.