MANILA, Philippines — A 79-year-old woman and her pet dog died in a fire that broke out in Tondo, Manila before dawn yesterday.
Firefighters found the remains of Juanita Vitco hugging her dog beneath the rubble.
She was visiting her daughters Josephine and Erlinda and was scheduled to go home to Bohol by the end of November, according to Barangay 128 chairman Bobby Hernane.
Josephine and Erlinda sustained burns on their bodies, according to radio reports.
The fire started in Josephine’s unit at Building 3 before 3 a.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported, adding that firefighters raised the second alarm at around 3:14 a.m.
Eight fire truck crews helped put out the blaze, which was declared controlled at around 3:52 a.m.
Around 30 families or 80 individuals were displaced by the fire and are staying in the barangay’s covered court.
Fire investigators have yet to release a report on the incident and determine what could have caused the fire, which barangay officials believe could have been triggered by a spark from a cell phone charger.