4,000 homeless in Tacloban City fire

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TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — More than 4,000 people were rendered homeless on Sunday when a fire destroyed more than 600 houses in one of the city’s depressed areas.

As of Sunday afternoon, fire investigators were looking into the cause of the fire that hit  Barangay 60, 60-A and 61 in Sagkahan District, Tacloban, about 10:30 a.m.

Chief Inspector Adel Bautista, city fire marshal, said the fire started from one of the houses in Barangay 60-A and quickly spread to the neighboring villages of 60 and 61 as the houses were made of light materials.

“We had difficulty putting out the fire due to the strong wind. The fire spread quickly especially that most of the houses were made of light materials,” Bautista said.

Firefighters from nearby towns of Palo, Tanauan, Alangalang, Sta.Fe, Tolosa and the Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade helped the Tacloban fire department put out the fire.

Riza Docena, 26 and a resident of Barangay 60-A said that she heard an explosion from one of their neighbors’ houses before the fire broke out.

“I immediately woke up my husband (Alexander) and ushered my four children out of our house. We were not able to bring any belonging,” Docena said.

Armida Villa, 36 , was attending Church service when she heard sirens from fire trucks. When she learned that her village was on fire, she, her husband and her three children immediately ran to Barangay 60-A to check on their house.

But the blaze had already eaten their house. Like most of their neighbors, they were not able to save any belonging.

“Our only consolation was that we were all safe,” she added.

Councilor Cristina Gonzales Romualdez, wife of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, said the city government mobilized its various offices to provide assistance to the affected families.

“We have readied food, water and used clothing for the affected families. The city mayor issued a directive to make the Tacloban Convention Center as a temporary shelter for the fire victims,” she added.