MANILA – A pre-dawn blaze at a residential-commercial building in Delpan, Tondo, Manila, killed five persons, including two sisters who had just arrived in Manila to pursue studies here.
The fire started at the second floor of the building on Tahimik street at around 3 a.m. It reached the third alarm, and the fire was declared out at around 5 a.m., according to the initial report of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The two sisters killed in the fire were Joana Racet dela Cruz, 21, and Jamaica dela Cruz, 17, who were both grandchildren of the building’s owner. The two arrived recently from Aklan to pursue their studies in Manila. Their friend, identified only as Shane, 21, was also killed in the fire. Their bodies were recovered at a second floor room.
Two more bodies were found in the first floor. They were identified only as Junjun, 16, and Tintin.
Three people escaped from the fire by jumping off the second floor of the building.
Two of those who survived were helpers in a mini-grocery story in the building’s first floor. The building’s owner, Wilson Villanueva, was not around when the fire happened.
