A massive fire that engulfed 300 residences is believed to have been ignited by a man consumed with jealousy who found his wife in the company of another man.
The destructive blaze swept through numerous homes in the Intramuros district of Manila, Philippines, causing extensive damage amounting to £20,000 and displacing countless individuals from their dwellings.
Local reports indicate that the individual suspected of starting the fire, known locally as Burnok, had been recently released from prison and had returned to live with his wife in Barangay 655. Burnok, in his mid-30s, had only been released the night before the incident.
Allegedly discovering his wife with another man, whom he suspected to be her lover, Burnok, a former convict with a history of criminal convictions, was reportedly incensed. In a fit of rage, he hastily left the premises but returned later with a container of gasoline, which he used to set the home ablaze.
Situated on the fourth floor of a residential building, the inferno rapidly spread to neighboring properties as irate residents from nearby apartments purportedly retaliated against the suspect for the havoc wrought upon their homes.
Reports from Barangay 655 captain Johnny Yacub, as detailed by The Manila Times, suggest that the ex-convict was subjected to a beating by villagers. Emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene at around 4:48 pm, battling fiercely to bring the flames under control, with the fire finally being extinguished at 11:30 pm after nearly seven hours of relentless efforts.
The densely populated residential area was engulfed in thick, billowing black smoke, with burning debris cascading onto structures constructed from flammable materials. In a frenzied escape, residents, workers, and vendors scrambled to flee the advancing flames, clutching loved ones and possessions as they sought safety.
Firefighters encountered formidable obstacles in their firefighting endeavors, contending with inadequate water supply, storage limitations, and narrow access routes that impeded the containment of the blaze, as per the Manila Bulletin.
Following a severe beating by residents, the suspect was taken into police custody alive, culminating in the aftermath of the catastrophic fire.
