Man dies in Ermita fire
A 50-year-old man was trapped to his death during a fire that hit a residential area in Ermita, Manila.
The Manila Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the fatality as Jose Nonie Gregorio, of Arquiza Street, Ermita, Manila.
The fire hit at 1:04 a.m. at the second floor of the two-storey building located at 443 Arquiza Street in Ermita and owned by a certain Jasmine Liwanag.
The fire reached second alarm before it was fully contained at 3:06 a.m.
Residents told probers that they first smelled and saw smoke coming from the room of Gregorio.
The residents said they tried to put out the fire which gutted several houses, affecting around 15 families in all.
Estimated damage to property was placed at P60,000 while the cause of fire is still being established by authorities.
