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Sunday, August 24, 2003
Fire guts big part of Murcia market
MURCIA Mayor Esteban Coscolluela will seek the declaration of his municipality under a state of calamity after the Thursday evening fire. which gutted down 80 to 90 percent of the town’s public market.
Coscolluela said he will seek the passage of a resolution before the Municipal Council for approval even as he also appealed for financial support from Malacañang and the various local government units in Negros Occidental.
“The damage is staggering but we will not allow this to demoralize the entire community,” said Coscolluela of the incident which occurred past 11 p.m. Thursday.
Senior Fire Officer 4 Florencio Tolosa, municipal fire chief, said the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) could not yet ascertain the cause and origin of the fire pending further investigation on the ruins and debris which were left after the blaze.
As of presstime Frday, the Murcia BFP operatives with arson investigators from the BFP-Bacolod, are still conducting clearing operations in the scene of the fire.
Reports indicated that the fire broke out in the middle part of the market.
The market place itself is just a few meters away from the BFP outpost and Murcia Municipal Hall.
Firefighters found it difficult to contain the fire which was put out only at 1 a.m. or about two hours later.
Initial fire damage was pegged at P20 million. A market vendor identified as Roger Guanco was injured and was brought to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Regional Hospital in Bacolod.
No fatalities were reported.
Among the fire brigade units that helped put out the fire were the Amity Fire Volunteers, Bacolod Chamber Fire Brigade, and firetrucks from the cities of La Carlota, Victorias, Silay, Talisay, Bacolod, and Bago and a firetruck from Tanduay.
Coscolluela said the tragedy has left them dumbfounded with the enormity of the economic loss.
He said though the outstanding accounts and other fees of stall owners and vendors affected by the fire will be condoned up to the end of the year.
The mayor further said that financial assistance from government agencies will be tapped to fund the immediate construction of a new market because it badly needs all the help it can get from the different sectors in the community.
“We will rise from this tragedy with our heads up high and from the ashes and ruins of our public market, a new and better Murcia will emerge,” Coscolluela assured the Murciahanons.
Coscolluela also appealed to the community to stop spreading rumors and speculations because they have a lot of things to do.
“Let us not be sidetracked by malicious insinuations,” said Coscolluela referring to reports that some other camps might have intentionally set to fire the place.
He added they are considering all options to help those who are affected by the fire by setting up a temporary market.
“We will not allow this tragedy to cripple us economically, the Murciahanons’ daily routine will continue,” he said.
He further said that in this time of crisis, they will show their strength as one people.
(August 23, 2003 issue)
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