Nabitasan fire victims badly need help
More than 500 families temporarily taking refuge in two evacuatsion centers in Brgy. Nabitasan, La Paz are currently waiting for the city government’s help after their houses were razed by a huge fire past midnight of Friday last week.
Most of the families barely saved their belongings as the fire swiftly gobbled more than 100 houses. A fire victim said their place which is beneath the Iloilo river turned into an inferno in just about 30 minutes.
The evacuees merely depend on the relief goods being given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other private civic organizations. Saturday morning the evacuees were given ready-to -eat food, noodles and sardines by the city government.
Brgy. Capt. Noriel Arsulo, whose house was also partially burned, said his constituents are also in need of clothes and blankets.
Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) has put up several water tanks inside the Nabitasan Elementary School to supply water for the evacuees. Other evacuees occupy the barangay’s covered gymnasium which is located next to the elementary school.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas who visited the evacuation site in the morning of Saturday has instructed the City Social Welfare and Development Office to attend to the needs of the fire victims.
Former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. also showed his presence in the evacuation center and assured help to the evacuees.
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the fire occurred past 12 midnight last Friday while the city was busy with various activities in line with the Dinagyang Festival. The fire quickly spread because most of the houses were made of light materials and because of the gusty winds.
The city’s firefighters had to ask augmentation from fire trucks from neighboring towns to help put out the fire. The fire was put under control past 3 a.m. of Saturday.
A lone fatality in the fire was identified as Trinidad Formacion, 48 years old. Residents said Formacion, who has difficulty in walking, was trapped inside the rest room of her house.
Eighteen other persons were reported to have been injured as they panicked to save themselves and their belongings.
It was reported that occupants of some houses were not around as they watched various Dinagyang-related activities during the night.
Fire authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire but initial investigation showed that the fire originated from the house of a certain Aurora Legaspi.
Considered as the biggest fire to hit Iloilo City for more than a year, it razed 120 homes and left some hundreds of families homeless.
The fire levelled the array of houses, which are mostly made up of light materials, at the populated Nabitasan village situated near the river just across the Jalandoni bridge.
The News Today learned that the lot where the houses stand is owned by the Department of Education.
