Nine people suffered minor injuries on Wednesday evening, October 21, after an accidental electrical fire broke out at the Canlaon Booth during the ongoing Buglasan Festival in Dumaguete City.
The victims sustained abrasions and minor burns in the incident and are in stable condition, a Buglasan Festival Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee statement said.
It said the emergency was swift and the blaze was contained within minutes.
According to initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the alarm was received at 9:04 p.m.. Firefighters were dispatched immediately at 9:05 p.m., arrived at the scene by 9:07 p.m., brought the fire under control by 9:09 p.m. and officially declared a complete fire-out by 9:15 p.m.
Responders from the Provincial Health Office (PHO), Philippine Red Cross, LDRRMO of Negros Oriental, and One Rescue provided immediate medical assistance on-site before transporting the victims to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) and Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC).
Following the incident, Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria directed the Buglasan Safety and Security Committee, led by the BFP, to immediately perform a thorough re-inspection of all festival booths to prevent similar occurrences.
The Buglasan Festival Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee assured the public, visitors, and festival participants that strict, high-standard safety protocols remain enforced throughout the event grounds. *
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