Fire relief in the Philippines
MANILA,
Philippines - A deadly fire broke out near the
Chinese community in Manila on New Year's Eve. The blaze killed
three people and injured more than six hundred. Firecrackers,
which are used by many to welcome an auspicious new year,
started the fire.
The fire started in an illegal settlement
at the intersection of Luzon and Masangkay Streets and spread
rapidly from house to house. Soon, the whole settlement of
wooden houses was ablaze. Instead of dispelling bad luck,
as firecrackers are usually believed to do, these brought
ruin to the settlement.
Helping their neighbors
The
day after the fire, Tzu Chi volunteers arrived to assess the
situation. 180 victims were staying in various locations,
including: nearby homes, in an underpass, in trishaws and
on wooden wagons.The residents of the nearby Chinese community
did not hesitate to help by providing food and clothes to
the victims.
A family of seven was among the victims.
Both parents were jobless while three of their children had
skin disease. Volunteers saw the children scratch their skin
until it bled. The community head explained that a charity
organization had given money to the parents so that their
children could receive proper medical care but that the parents
did not bring the kids in for treatment.
At the moment, Tzu Chi volunteers
have been given a list of the victims. Upon immediate review,
they will soon provide material relief as well as some emotional
ease to the victims.
