3 people die, thousands left homeless in major fire in Siasi, Sulu

A major fire broke out in the town proper of Siasi, Sulu on Saturday, leaving three persons dead and about 7,000 families homeless, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Center (PDCC) officials of Sulu reported Sunday.

The fire took place Saturday afternoon at about 4:00 p.m. on Barangay Poblacion of Siasi and was extinguished by late in the evening, said Jainab Abdulmajid, PDCC provincial head.

She said many people, including two soldiers, were also injured in a 5-hour fire that razed hundreds of houses and a gasoline station in that island municipality.

Investigators said the fire started at a stall selling gasoline and spread so fast to a congested area in the town proper, North Laud and South Laud.

Firemen and a rescue team were dispatched to the area, but the flames had already began out of control due to lack of water.

The major fire in Siasi town was the second to hit in Sulu province in less than two months. Last September 24, a major fire also broke out in the capital town of Jolo, where nine people were reportedly injured and thousands left homeless.