2 hurt as fires hit Pasig, Makati

A gas tank explosion triggered a fire at a meat processing facility in Pasig City yesterday, sending two night-shift helpers to the hospital for serious burns.

Christopher Lagubao, 29, and Jomar Pascial, 28, are being treated at the Pasig City General Hospital.

Arson prober Salvador Norberte said a loud explosion preceded the fire that hit the Swiss Dell food processing facility on F. Mario street in Barangay Dela Paz at about 1:10 a.m.

Investigators found that somebody was cooking dinner in the kitchen when the gas tank exploded. The explosion, aside from triggering a fire, also made the ceiling collapse.

Lagubao and Pascial tried to put out the fire, suffering burns in the process. Responding firemen put out the blaze after a few minutes.

Meanwhile, an early morning fire razed a row of five old houses in Makati City yesterday, destroying P40,000 worth of property.

No one was killed or injured in the blaze, which started at around 8:48 a.m. along P. Binay street near Malvar Street in Barangay Bangkal.

Senior Fire Officer 1 Gerson Moncada said it took firefighters more than an hour and a half to put the fire out at around 10:22 a.m.

He said the estimated value of damaged property is low because the houses were made mainly of non-concrete material.

Moncada said owners suspect a short circuit started the fire since they had long been asking the Manila Electric Co. to check on their connections.

Arson probers are conducting an investigation to determine what actually triggered the blaze. – Non Alquitran, Michael Punongbayan