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Over 60 people missing in Valenzuela factory fire
By ROSE-AN JESSICA DIOQUINO, GMA News
(Updated 7:26 p.m.) Over 60 people remain missing after fire hit a slipper warehouse in Valenzuela City on Wednesday.
A tweet from radio dzBB quoted Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian as saying that 65 are missing in the fire in Barangay Ugong.
The fire was declared under control by the Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region at 4:11 p.m., according to radio dzBB.
UPDATE: 65 ang nawawala pa sa nangyaring sunog sa Ugong, Valenzuela, ayon kay @valenzuelacity Mayor Rex Gatchalian. | via @allangatus
— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 13, 2015
In a television interview, Valenzuela City Police chief Sr. Supt. Rhoderick Armamento said three were confirmed dead in the incident, while search and retrieval operations are still ongoing for the 63 who are believed to be workers in the factory.
"Ang hinahanap po natin ngayon ay 'yung mga aktwal na on duty noon at sinasabing hindi nakalabas," Armamento said.
"Base po kasi doon sa statement ng BFP ay maaaring walang nakaligtas doon mismo sa lugar na tinamaan ng sunog," he added.
In a separate interview on GMA News TV's QRT, BFP-NCR director Sr. Supt. Sergio Soriano said firefighters got inside the area when the fire was declared under control.
"Kanina kinonfirm namin na 'yung reported ng social worker na merong 63 na naiwan doon... Nakita [ng mga bumbero] na walang nakitang buhay," he said, adding that they have asked for additional reinforcement from the police's scene of crime operatives (SOCO).
He also said that among the three confirmed dead was the child of the warehouse owner.
Over 60 missing
Gatchalian said they got their missing figures from the number of relatives that approached the helpdesk they put up outside the warehouse.
"Inipon namin 'yung mga kamag-anak para mabuo 'yung picture kung ilan ang nagta-trabaho at the time. Kanina kasi nu'ng simula nu'ng sunog, kinausap namin 'yung mga may-ari, medyo lutang rin 'yung kanilang isipan dahil namatayan rin sila. Tinanong namin kung ilan ang nasa shift at ilan ang nasa logbook na naka-time in, pero hindi nila masagot, so kailangan naming bilangin manually," he said in a separate interview on QRT.
While the BFP said there were no survivors among those left inside the building, Gatchalian said he will not declare that the 65 people were killed because at least some may have been able to escape.
"Kung tinatanong niyo ako kung lahat ng 65 na 'yun ay nasawi, ang sinasabi ko ay nananalig ako na may nakalabas doon at maaaring hindi lang nakabalik sa helpdesk namin para mag-report na nakaligtas sila," he said.
He added: "Until ibigay sa akin ng SOCO na 65 ang official body count, hindi ko pwedeng sabihin na 65 ang nasawi."
He also called on the factory workers who escaped the fire to inform the helpdesk so that they will be accounted for.
"Ang request ho namin, kung sakaling nakalabas kayo, magtungo kayo sa helpdesk sa labas ng pabrika [para malaman namin]," he said.
In a phone interview, Eddie Nazar, Barangay Ugong captain, said they are still waiting for confirmation on the number of casualties.
"Yung number (of those believed inside) na nakuha namin, galing din lang sa mga kamag-anak ng lumapit sa amin," Nazar said.
Logbook burned
In an latest interview with GMA-7's "24 Oras," Gatchalian said that the owners of the factory could not give the exact number of the people inside the warehouse because the logbook was destroyed in the fire.
"Noong tinanong ko 'yung may-ari, hindi nila tayo masagot kasi nasunog din ang logbook nila. So, hindi nila alam kung ilan ang nasa loob. Pangalawa, 'yung foreman na nakakaalam kung ilan ang naka-shift, nasa loob din," he explained.
But the mayor said that 65 families claimed that they have a loved one who was working in the warehouse when the incident happened.
Gatchalian also said that the families were taken to a barangay hall near the morgues to help identify the bodies.
"We will need professional morgue assistance para ma-identify 'yung mga katawan. 'Yan ang ginagawa namin, ma-identify ang mga labi para naman matahimik ang pamilya at malaman nila kung ano na talaga ang nangyari sa kanilang kapamilya," he said.
The mayor also promised that the local government will provide aid for the burial expenses as well as legal assistance.
"Alam natin na maghahanap sila ng sagot sa mga katanungan nila kung bakit nangyari ito," he added.— with a report by Trisha Macas/KBK/RSJ/BM, GMA News
In a phone interview, Eddie Nazar, Barangay Ugong captain, said they are still waiting for confirmation on the number of casualties.
"Yung number (of those believed inside) na nakuha namin, galing din lang sa mga kamag-anak ng lumapit sa amin," Nazar said.
Logbook burned
In an latest interview with GMA-7's "24 Oras," Gatchalian said that the owners of the factory could not give the exact number of the people inside the warehouse because the logbook was destroyed in the fire.
"Noong tinanong ko 'yung may-ari, hindi nila tayo masagot kasi nasunog din ang logbook nila. So, hindi nila alam kung ilan ang nasa loob. Pangalawa, 'yung foreman na nakakaalam kung ilan ang naka-shift, nasa loob din," he explained.
But the mayor said that 65 families claimed that they have a loved one who was working in the warehouse when the incident happened.
Gatchalian also said that the families were taken to a barangay hall near the morgues to help identify the bodies.
"We will need professional morgue assistance para ma-identify 'yung mga katawan. 'Yan ang ginagawa namin, ma-identify ang mga labi para naman matahimik ang pamilya at malaman nila kung ano na talaga ang nangyari sa kanilang kapamilya," he said.
The mayor also promised that the local government will provide aid for the burial expenses as well as legal assistance.
"Alam natin na maghahanap sila ng sagot sa mga katanungan nila kung bakit nangyari ito," he added.— with a report by Trisha Macas/KBK/RSJ/BM, GMA News
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