11 dead in Binondo building fire

MANILA: A fire razed a five-story building in a commercial district in Binondo, Manila on Friday morning, killing 11. Investigators from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire started at around 7:28 a.m.at the ground floor of the Pingco Building, a mixed residential and commercial building in Carvajal St., Barangay 289. The fire reached the second alarm at 8:14 a.m. and was declared out at 10:03 a.m. The cost of damage was placed at PHP100,000 while the cause of the fire was still under investigation. In a radio interview, village councilor Nelson Ty confirmed that firefighters found 11 bodies inside the building after the fire was completely extinguished. "'Yung asawa nung may-ari kasamang namatay (The spouse of the building's owner was among those who died)," he said. Ty said the building had four residential rooms, a Chinese drug store, an eatery and a clothing shop. Following the incident, Mayor Honey Lacuna ordered an inspection of buildings in the city that are at least 15 years old. "The structures at highest fire risk especially those buildings that are at least 15 years old will be prioritized in the inspection to determine their compliance with the National Building Code and the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines,' Lacuna said in a statement. She said these checks would ensure compliance with existing building and fire regulations to prevent a repeat of similar incidents. Lacuna condoled with the families of the victims. 'Agad na pong nagpadala ng tulong ang Manila Social Welfare and Development upang alalayan ang pamilya ng mga nasawi at nawalan ng ari-arian (The MSWD immediately sent assistance to hep the families who lost their loved ones and properties)," she said. The assistance included psycho-social, medical and financial aid. Source: Philippines News Agency