BY MINKA TIANGCO
Five persons, including four children, perished while five others were injured in a six-hour fire that hit the Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila last Saturday.
Arson investigators identified the fatalities as Jake Loyola, 37; Noah Loyola, 3; Richard Tigas, 10; Kiefer Loyola, 8; and Jeric Tigas, 12.
Injured were Cyrus Frank, 9, who sustained second degree burns; Sonny Boy Jovita, 23; and Rodulfo Cadigal Jr, 44; who both had abrasions; and Rea Adriatico, 37; and Marbin V. Alperes, 45; who both sustained lacerations, probers said.
Investigation showed that the fire started on the second floor of a residential structure at Gate 20 at 11:53 p.m. It quickly reached second alarm at 12 midnight and third alarm after seven minutes.
The blaze reached fourth alarm at 1:49 a.m. Sunday. The fire was declared under control three hours later and put out at 6:11 a.m.
Around 600 families were displaced and about 300 structures were destroyed in the blaze. Damage from the fire was estimated at around P3 million.
Further investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fire.
