A jealous ex-convict was caught after allegedly setting alight his wife’s house, sparking a severe blaze in the Philippines.
Jervy Roldan, 36, was just released but reportedly went on a rampage when he discovered that his partner had left him for his neighbor while he was incarcerated.
The jilted husband was said to have doused her property with gasoline before setting it ablaze on Wednesday afternoon, February 25.
The fire rapidly tore through the mostly wooden shanties, packed side-by-side in the impoverished neighborhood of Barangay 655 in Intramuros, Manila.
Aerial footage shows raging flames engulfing homes as black smoke billows toward the sky. Locals later restrained Jervy, seen in the video, and held him until police arrived.
Terrified residents salvaged what they could of their belongings as burning debris rained down on the streets, igniting the houses made of flammable construction materials.
Firefighters responded to the emergency, but said they faced difficulties due to narrow streets and a lack of fire hydrants at the scene.
Fire Inspector Marvin Buraga, commander of Manila Fire District Station 4, said: “Earlier, we noticed that the winds were strong, and there was only a single fire hydrant in this area. There were two others but they were too far away.”
The Manila local government said the fire was extinguished at 11:30 p.m. local time, around six hours after it broke out.
Authorities said a senior citizen was rushed to a hospital but later passed away, while a woman was still missing. They added that the fire had caused around 1.5 million PHP in damages and left some 500 families homeless.
Furious residents were seen hunting suspected arsonist Jervy as he hid under an ice truck to escape their wrath.
Johnny Yacub, chief of Barangay 655, said: “The residents really saw that one of the people here intentionally started the fire. Actually, they beat him up. I don’t know what happened to him. I asked them not to hurt him but they couldn’t control themselves.”
“It was a lover’s quarrel. He was just released from jail. His wife married his neighbor and he probably went berserk because of that.”
Roldan was taken to hospital after being mauled by the locals. Police said he will be questioned once he has recovered.
In a statement, the Manila Public Information Office said: “The Manila Department of Social Welfare and Development (MDSW) staff, led by MDSW Director Jay Dela Fuente, immediately responded to the needs of 532 families affected by the fire that broke out at 4:58 pm on Wednesday, February 25, at Cabildo Street, Barangay 655, Zone 69, Intramuros, Manila.”
“As initial assistance, the agency also immediately distributed hot meals and family kits to evacuees temporarily staying at the Delpan Evacuation Center while other necessary assistance from the city government continues to be provided.”
—Newsflare via Reuters Connect
