An elderly woman died while about 1000 families were left homeless after a huge fire razed some 500 shanties along NIA Road in Quezon City, Tuesday night.
Quezon City fire marshal Senior Supt. Manuel Manuel said the charred body of Corazon Teozon, 74, was discovered in one of the houses after fire broke out at about 6:20 p.m. in an informal settlers’ community at Area A, NIA Road, Barangay Pinyahan.
He said the fire started at the two-storey house of a certain Romano Jinayo, 33, located at the center of the community, and quickly spread to other structures mostly made of light materials.
Manuel said 74 fire trucks responded to the blaze which reached the Task Force Delta at around 7:30 p.m..
“We had difficulties because passageways were complex and narrow. We had to climb up roofs to put out the fire,” he said.
It lasted for more than six hours and was contained at around 12:48 a.m.
Manuel said they received information that the ailing Teozon was alone in the house during the fire and did not able to escape.
“She might have died of suffocation first before fire consumed her. She was totally beyond recognition when we found her,” he said.
A resident and a firefighter also sustained minor abrasions during the fire, he added.
The QC fire chief said they are still trying to determine the cause of the fire that damaged around P3 million worth of property.
The affected families are staying at Barangay Pinyahan covered court and hall and being taken cared of by the local government’s social welfare department. (VANNE ELAINE P. TERRAZOLA)