below is the headline sa INQ7 site...
5 dead, 4 missing in Binondo fire
Posted 11:19pm (Mla time) April 20, 2005
By Margaux Ortiz, Jean Marionne Bermudez, trainee
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A23 of the April 21, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
WHEN firemen managed to bring him to safety, away from the family's burning building in Binondo, Manila, 25-year-old Elizalde Chua decided to go back and rescue his parents and siblings trapped inside.
He never made it back.
Elizalde's body was the first to be recovered after a fire hit the Eliong Commercial building at No. 589 Quintin Paredes St. at 2:37 a.m. The fire was declared under control at 1:46 pm, almost 12 hours after it started.
Elizalde's brother Edralin, 28, and Erika, 16, were recovered hours later by firemen at the third floor of the four-storey building.
FO1 Lords Hernandez of the Manila Fire Department said the body of an unidentified female helper was found on the second floor. Another body was discovered charred beyond recognition.
Fire officials said Elizalde's parents, Ely, 58, and Tessie, 52, along with two other helpers, were still missing.
Two of the Chua family's six helpers were, however, rescued a few hours after the fire began at 2:37 a.m. at the building's ground floor.
Luisita Servales, 28, sustained third degree burns and was taken to the Philippine General Hospital for treatment.
Myrna Pesaro, 42, who was found at the rear portion of the building, sustained the least injuries of the survivors, with lacerations on both feet. She was rushed to the Metropolitan Hospital.
Hernandez explained that the fire took several hours to control because of the highly combustible goods inside the building.
"The Chua family sold plastic toys, which took a long time to burn," Hernandez told the Inquirer.
The arson investigator also said that the "impenetrable" grills of the building prevented the firemen from entering the building with ease.
"We had to use a chainsaw to destroy the grills," Hernandez said, adding that the fire exits of the building were also blocked with merchandise.
"It looked like the tenants made a choice between security or safety," he added.
Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said he had given directives to his inspectors to make sure that all the buildings in the city were safe from possible fires.
"The building was relatively new compared to the other structures around it," Atienza said.
"We still have to find out if the tragedy was caused by improper maintenance or the lack of exits," the mayor added.
Some of Erika's friends cried openly near the Binondo Church, passing around her framed picture. Relatives of the Chuas refused to talk to the media about the family or the incident.
~actually, we were not passing around a framed pic of Erika.. ung sa wallet lang na pix dun sa wallet ni Lester...tinitignan ni jasmine e...there...
RIP
Erika Theresa Kho Chua
December 8, 1989-April 20, 2005
this is a pic of erika.. just got it from Toby's site e... well there.. tlgang thanks for all Erika, im sure your memories with us will be treasured forever... hope you will be happy na... thanks for all...
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