Fire destroys 150K COVID vax in Pagadian
SOME 150,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday night were destroyed in a fire that hit a local government facility in Pagadian City.
Police said the fire struck the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Government Center in Bgy. Dao, Pagadian City that houses the offices of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), Department of Health (DOH) Provincial Office and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
Among those destroyed by the blaze were Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Sinovac vaccines, according to Dr. Anatalio Cagampang Jr., chief of the IPHO and the Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center.
Also destroyed by fire were the vaccines for hepatitis, measles, and polio.
An investigation showed the fire started at the ground floor maintenance hall below the IPHO.
Cagampang said smoke filled the third and fourth floors of the adjacent structure, where COVID-19 patients with moderate symptoms were admitted.
The patients were evacuated to a nearby ward.
Firefighters declared a fire out at 3:10 a.m. on the same day.
No one was reported hurt.
Authorities are investigating the damage brought by the fire.
