Paco fire injures 1

A fire that erupted on Saturday night in a two-story commercial building located on Pedro Gil Street, Paco, Manila, raged for more than five hours, partially damaging nearby Paco Catholic School.

The blaze, which started at 8 p.m., quickly escalated to a fifth-alarm fire by 8:37 p.m. due to the light materials used in the construction of the commercial establishment.

Firefighters were able to take control of the fire by 10:28 p.m. and declared it fully extinguished at 1:45 a.m. Sunday, according to Manila Bureau of Fire Protection Chief F/Supt Leo Andiso.

One person, identified as Cherraline Rufil, sustained minor injuries during the incident and was treated by the Manila Risk Reduction Management Office.

The fire originated from a commercial building owned by Jose Cortez. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still under investigation by arson investigators.

In a separate incident, another fire broke out later that night at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Ermita, Manila.

Over a hundred patients were evacuated after the fire engulfed the former X-ray room, which is now used for storing medicines. Smoke was also detected in the hospital’s emergency room.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze within 20 minutes, declaring it fire out at 11:36 p.m. The cause of the fire at PGH is also under investigation.