By DIANN IVY CALUCIN
A 73-year-old man died while another one was injured in a fire that gutted 75 houses on Mabolo Street in Barangay Maysilo, Malabon City on Thursday, Dec. 22.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the fatality as Norberto Oxima and the injured man as Gene Verona, 63, both residents of Mabolo St.
Malabon Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) said Oxima was not able to escape the fire due to dead-end corridors of his house.
Meanwhile, Verona sustained abrasions on his left foot when he tried to climb a wall with barbed wires while trying to escape. He was immediately given first aid.
BFP said the first fire alarm was declared at 5:29 p.m. and the second alarm at 5:40 p.m.
The fire was under control at 5:56 p.m. and was put out at 7:21 p.m.
More than 30 fire trucks responded to extinguish the fire.
BFP said the fire affected 70 families or 251 individuals, 13 of them are senior citizens, four are persons with disabilities (PWDs) and four are pregnant.
Some affected families evacuated to Maysilo Elementary School, where 20 rooms are already occupied as of 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, Malabon DRRMO said.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of fire.