ILOILO — A pre-dawn fire totally destroyed ten carinderias at the Dumangas port in Sitio Naluoyan, Barangay Sapao, Dumangas town on Sunday, June 28.
Authorities said the fire broke out at around 3:40 a.m., catching occupants off guard as they slept. According to a report from Bombo Radyo Iloilo, several residents, who lived within their business premises, narrowly escaped the blaze while they were asleep.
Fire Officer 1 Karl Galvez said a “fire out” was declared at around 6:19 p.m.
Earlier reports indicate that a person delivering water to the area allegedly spotted the fire before it spread to the rest of the structures. However, information suggests that the said individual failed to alert authorities or the residents immediately.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Dumangas pegged the damage at P265,000. As of this writing, authorities were still conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Meanwhile, Monalyn Pedrino, 63, and Emelie Delfinado, 47, recounted the terrifying experience of waking up to the fire that had already engulfed the area.
In a Bombo Radyo Iloilo report, Pedrino, a resident of Leganes, Iloilo, who was assisting with a stall rented by her nephew, stated she was unaware of the fire until she was awakened. She was alone in her area when the incident occurred.
For her part, Emelie Delfinado, who resided in their carinderia with her husband, four children, an aunt, and helpers, noted that she was asleep when the fire broke out. Her husband reportedly managed to escape the burning structure without even having time to put on his slippers./PN
