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Friday, May 04, 2007
Two fires in Philippine capital leave 5 dead, 20 injured (12:50 p.m.)
MANILA -- A fire at a Manila hotel and another at a garment factory left five people dead and 20 injured, officials and radio radio reports said Friday.
Four people were killed overnight when a blaze gutted a three-story garment factory in Caloocan city, north of Manila, Senior Fire Officer Arwin David told Radio DZBB.
Hours earlier, firefighters battled a blaze that broke out in a hotel in the Quezon City suburb, with rescuers moving to save guests waving from their rooms and the rooftop of the eight-story building.
The fire broke out on the sixth floor of the Great Eastern Hotel shortly before 8 p.m. (1200 GMT) Thursday, Fire Sgt. Romeo Foronda said. It was extinguished before midnight.
Arnel Capili, a civil defense official, said one man died after jumping from a window and at least 20 people suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.
Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte said people trapped in the upper floors and rooftop had been led down through a fire escape and firefighters had inspected rooms to ensure no one was left behind.
Brian Hetherington, a tourist from London who was staying on the sixth floor, complained it took time to inform people about the fire.
"What gave us a scare was there was no alarm, no sprinkler system, just banging on the door" by hotel staff, he said.
A hotel staffer told DZBB radio that a 24-floor annex building was unaffected except for thick smoke. (AP) |
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