3 med students killed in Ecija’s clinic fire

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines—Three medical students from Metro Manila were killed Tuesday in a fire that gutted a community clinic in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, police said.

Chief Insp. Peter Madria, Cabiao police chief, said Cecille Quintos, 25; Jen Morillos, 22; and Jessa Perez, 24, who were students of the Saint Luke’s College of Medicine in Quezon City, were killed in the fire that broke out while they were sleeping on the second floor of the Cabiao Community Clinic at 2:45 a.m.

Another student, Miguel Ramos, escaped with minor injuries.

Madria said the four students were on community training in Cabiao.

Quintos, Morillos and Perez were found huddled in the clinic’s toilet. The clinic’s windows have iron grills but the building has a fire escape, according to Madria.

Investigators said the victims could have panicked when they were roused from sleep and saw the fire spreading to the building’s second floor.

Instead of looking for the fire escape, the three ran to the toilet were they were suffocated by the thick smoke, Madria said.

He said investigators have not talked to survivor Ramos to get details about the fire and how he escaped.

Investigators have yet to determine how the fire started. The blaze was put under control at 5:30 a.m. –Anselmo Roque, Central Luzon Desk