Police Chief Inspector Charlie Cabradilla said at least 360 families have been rendered homeless while Surigao City Fire Marshall Peter Sean Antony Atup said at least P10 million worth of property went up in flames.
Atup said the charred remains of Nenita Cabada, who had been bedridden for long, had been found.
The fire started at around 7:30 in the evening on Saturday at the residence of Perlina Gorde in the inner portion of P. Reyes Extension. The house was occupied by one Cherry Maravilla.
AFTERMATH. At least 200 houses of light materials were gutted by Saturday night's fire in Surigao City. MindaNews photo by Roel N. Catoto
The Surigao City Fire Department received the alarm at 7:45 P.M. and quickly called for help as the flames spread across houses mostly made of light materials.
Atup said he raised the fire alarm to the 5th level.
“Eighteen fire trucks responded including a fire boat because it is a coastal area. Cold fire chemicals were also used to effectively suppress the conflagration,” Atup said.
Fire trucks from the Surigao Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade, Surigao Quick Action Response Team, Surigao Air Transportation Office, and the fire stations from neighboring Surigao towns of Tagana-an, Placer, Claver, Mainit and Alegria and even from Agusan del Norte’s Kitcharao and Jabonga came to help.
He said the firefighters found it difficult to put out the fire because of the narrow pathways. The wooden footbridges were also burned.
RUMMAGING through the ruins for whatever material can be salvaged. MindaNews photo by Roel N. CatotoAtup added the water was not enough because fire hydrants were far from the fire scene. Aso, the fire boat had difficulty in getting water from the sea as it was low tide at that time and the garbage clogged the hose, preventing it from sucking water.
Because of these problems, the fire spread to Nueva Street. It took the firefighters about four hours or until 11:25 p.m. to effectively control the fire.
Atup said his team is still conducting a thorough investigation on what really started the fire.
The Surigao City Disaster Coordinating Council headed by city Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas could not be reached for comment as of presstime.
The Departent of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has set up the Nueva Gym in Barangay Taft as evacuation center along with the Mariano Memorial Center Elementary School.
He said several police personnel have been deployed to the area to ensure no one will take advantage of the fire victims.
Edna Sumaylo, a resident, claimed she was victim
ized by robbers who pretended to help her move her valuables out of her house.To her surprise, however, her bag containing some 4,000 pesos, went missing.
Edna’s neighbors also claimed that gas tanks and other home appliances were also stolen. (Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)
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This is a classic example of the city's poor implementation of city planning/planner's guidelines with respect to zoning, road-right-of way, etc. that culminates or should i say ' an accident just ready to happen' with such a disastrous outcome that could have otherwise been minimized if not prevented. Although no one can predict what would happen, access to the scene could have been easy and downright speedy if the roads/city streets were wide enough to accomodate emergency vehicles and rescue teams that is needed. This should serve as a wake-up call to the city managers in general to implement the rightful headstart and not give-in to the demands of the private landowners who wish to occupy if not encroach on city streets, and for the proper infrastructure be set in place (water hydrants, utilites, sewer/sewage, widened roadways, etc)rather than to think of their selfish ends come election time as their perceived voter stronghold. Likewise, for the city to be bestowed another laurel in its path, a Department of Building and Safety must be created and have more teeth in the implementation of national and city codes and regulations.
Was i right - though i did not try to predict nor ceremoniously suggest -to make an insight/comment with the marquee: Mayor Nito'y gift to city employees?, you be the judge!
The Office of the City Engr. and the Mayor, city planning is their job and very clear they don't do a good job.
I hope the many poor people will be given a public housing, at least a roof over heir heads.
To be sympathetic and helpful to our brothers, neighbors and friends in general whose impoverished lifestyle is, maybe or maybe not to their liking or of their choosing, is another issue, but i also don't approve of government assistance in the comment suggested as it will only encourage (folks) to become lazy and mendicant all their lives...you can read all the books (bible and social reading materials in both developed , developing and third world countries, history,... you name it) and make Pro and CON arguments about it, but one thing is for sure, the ills that compounds any society - be it democratic or otherwise - and the after effect it creates is at worst, an 'ideologic parasite persona' instead and very hard if not impossible to UNDO as the thinking becomes second to nature... sa Sinurigaonon pa, 'amoy nay kina-ija'
As the saying goes "Teach them how to fish and not rely on handouts for handouts are just that, -temporal if not transitional- by nature....."
Help is not a handout for lazy people but for victims of a fire disaster! Any other view is arrogant , unsympathetic, inhuman. OK, so you are just OK with leaving the victims without shelter? They are the poorest of the poorest? You have seen where they live? I have been there and that is not a condition you want to live with dignity, there is no proper sanitation, electricity and water.
At the very least the duty and purpose of government is the welfare of its citizens no matter of what social level. What if you were the victim?
Hmmmmm....in what instance was it suggested that the 'help' were for lazy people? 'what is' arrogant, unsympathetic and inhuman in teaching our 'poorest, poorest' how to earn a living decently instead of selling votes to quench their thirst and hunger for only a day or two?!, maybe longer than that, i don't know...and don't dare me, because not only was i a fire victim once during my college days in manila but in the process i never sold my soul nor my vote to anyone be it the highest bidder or the best handshaker during that time, instead, it strenghtened my resolve and made me strive harder....i am not suggesting that everyone (victims) were outright 'vote-vendors' but this seems to be the name of the game nowadays.. and to the welfare of the victims with no apparent government social services offered or in place!(no sanitation, etc. as you mentioned)who's to blame , the victims? the present administration? or the immediate past? the problem is now too complexed, entertwined and perhaps next to impossible to unfurl or unwind that the blame game and finger-pointing is a useful and effective tool for anyone's convenience...and Hello?! if you believe that i suggested that handouts is NOT the norm, read carefully, nothing of that nature was ever pointed out, but instead or simply put, help is for the immediate need (TEMPORARY ONLY) not perpetual, not infinite, not permanent!!! otherwise i'll be the first in line!!! and also to the very least, i firmly suggest, you address your issue to the present city government and see if they will take it from there otherwise , i don't really know what to say...
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