Quezon City authorities have initiated a thorough investigation into the devastating house fire that claimed the lives of 15 individuals in Tandang Sora on Thursday.
The house, which tragically doubled as a warehouse and workshop for a t-shirt printing business, became the scene of the horrifying incident. Among the casualties was a 3-year-old girl.
Fire Chief Supt. Nahum Tarroza from the Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region shed light on the incident, explaining that the fire erupted in the house on Kennedy Lane, where an expansion project was underway. The use of chemicals associated with t-shirt printing likely contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.
Regrettably, the owners of the house and their 3-year-old child were among those who perished in the blaze. The majority of the victims were stay-in workers, according to the fire official.
Among the survivors was Mariafe Parle, an all-around maid employed by the owners. She recounted that they were asleep when the fire suddenly broke out, forcing her to escape through a window. Parle bravely attempted to rescue the young girl, who was carried by her mother but struggled to breathe. In the process, Parle sustained injuries to her hands and feet from the jump.
Another survivor recalled the difficulty they encountered in locating the front door, which was their sole means of escape from the engulfed house.
Authorities have discovered that the house had been operating without the necessary permits and lacked a fire safety inspection certification from the BFP. An official investigation into the incident will be launched.
In a concerning development, it was revealed that firefighters faced delays in responding to the fire due to incorrect address information.
Furthermore, heavy flooding in parts of Quezon City hindered the prompt arrival of fire trucks to the scene
