Fire hits Manila store selling religious items

Fire struck a store selling religious images and items in Sta. Cruz, Manila, EJ Gomez reported in “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

The shop was on the ground floor of a two-storey residential-commercial building on Tayuman Street.

According to witnesses, the fire broke out on the second floor and spread in just a few moments.

“Nung time na nasunog, sarado na 'yung store ng mga santo. May caretaker na dalawa. Tumawag na sila nung firefighters tapos tinawagan din nila yung may-ari,” said building owner Bernadette Villaflor.

(When the fire broke out, the store was already closed. There are two caretakers. They called the firefighters, then the owners.)

“Nabigla na lang po kami na may sumabog sa likod. Tapos, pagtingin namin sa likod po malakas na po 'yung sunog,” said Jay Carijutan, one of the caretakers.

(We were caught off guard when something exploded in the back. Then, when we checked, the blaze was already intense.)

Some residents helped carry the religious images and items out of the store.

According to firefighters, the fire spread quickly as the building was old and made of wood. Authorities estimated the fire caused P150,000 worth of damage.

“Ang ginawa po namin inikutan namin siya doon sa nearby building para po hindi siya mag-spread and then pinasok po namin para ma-apula po kaagad siya,” said San Lazaro Fire Station chief Erwin Arabis.

(We encircled it from a nearby building so that it would not spread, and we entered the store to put the fire out immediately.)

Arabis added that 28 firetrucks responded to the fire incident, which reached the first alarm and lasted for over 30 minutes.

Arabis also said there were no casualties in the fire incident. — Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News