CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Eight stay-in workers that includes a seven-month pregnant woman died when a commercial establishment was razed by fire at 2 o’clock in the morning Saturday.
The fatalities and injured are stay-in workers of the SP Foods Trading in Brgy. Puerto, a highly populated suburban commercial area east of the city.
City Fire Marshall Benigno Amomonpon said that five who survived suffered various injuries after jumping down from the second floor of the burning building. Their eight other co-workers were less fortunate.
Fire fighters had failed to rescue the trapped workers are the second floor collapsed.
Meanwhile, City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya said that they will investigate why the stay-in workers of SP Foods Trading were not able to escape the fire. Nacaya who Chairs the Committee on Police, Fire and Public Safety of the City Council.
He said that they will try to find out if the exits of the building were locked from outside or that there were no fire exits. He added that they will invite officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection to shed light on the matter and would look into the fire safety of commercial establishments who have stay-in workers.
Amomonpon said that they are still completing their investigation as to the cause of the fire and why there was a high fatality in the incident.
The fatalities were identified as Luz Salieta, owner of the building, Cheryl Tortoga, a native of Tangub City in Misamis Occidental; Emelyn Chiong from Bukidnon, Rowena Pahunang who was seven monts pregnant, Jacklyn Resurrecion of Brgy. Bugo; Chamberlyn Macusi of Brgy. Puerto, Benjie Tanio of Libertad, Misamis Oriental and Rocel Padero of Salay, Misamis Oriental.
The City Social Welfare and Development office have offered assistance to the families of the victims.
