An 86-year-old Chinese hotel owner died in a fire at her house between Alhambra and Guerrero Streets, Ermita, Manila on Sunday morning.
The owner of Hotel Juliano, behind which this house is located, was Chiu Deng Kangbacale. She was bedridden, and her son, Peter Kho, reportedly fainted from smoke inhalation while trying to rescue her.
The fire began at around 9:37 AM and was doused completely by 11:07 AM, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.
The guests who were checked in at the hotel were evacuated and pacified "in coordination with" the Sangguniang Barangay members (Barangay Kagawad) and the Barangay tanod, Barangay 667 Kagawad Joseph Magbutay told reporters.
According to the Manila Police District, Kho noticed the smell of something burning as he was taking a bath. Leaving the bathroom to check, he found the living room ablaze.
The hotel employees speculate that an unattended charger had caused the fire, Magbutay said.
