At least 48 houses caught fire, including a mosque, in the District of Molo, Iloilo City.

Forty-six of the houses were razed, based on data from the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

At least 57 families or 240 individuals were displaced by the fire that broke out past noontime in Barangay San Pedro on November 21, 2024.

One of homeless residents is identified as Romena Cordova who could only cry while watching the flames consume the settlement, including her house.

“Syempre masakit talaga. Wala kaming uuwian mamaya. Saan na kami ngayon? Pinigil ako ng bumbero kasi sabi ko papasok pa ako, kung ano pa ang pwede (maisalba), wala na talaga,” Cordova said.

The fire also destroyed a mosque of the Muslim community in the said barangay.

Some members were reported to be praying the "Salah" (daily obligatory prayers)  at the mosque when the fire broke out.

"Syempre yan ang simbahan na aming pinagdadarasalan. Kaso wala tayong magawa kasi yan ang nangyari,” Sumabaynatas, a member of the Muslim community, said.

The fire started at a house owned by a certain “Ana.” No one was in the house when the fire occurred, but residents said they heard an explosion.

Earlier reports had it that two children were trapped, but this was dismissed. It was learned that the father of the children rescued them while the house was burning.

“Lumabas siya, tapos naaalala niyang may mga bata sa loob. Binalikan niya ang mga bata at sinira ang likuran ng bahay dahil na-trap sila,” Rochelle Deripas, mother of the children, said.

A total of six persons were injured in the incident; some of the victims were wounded by galvanized iron sheets.

Persons whose blood pressure shot up were given medical attention.

“May mga patient rin na suspected sa stroke ngunit so far sa pag-ano natin, na-manage kumbaga ang lahat on scene,” said Maribel Rojas Salazar, chapter service representative of the Philippine Red Cross - Iloilo.