By: Angelica Arquero
A van parked at the Benguet General Hospital in La Trinidad, Benguet caught fire late Tuesday morning, prompting immediate response from hospital guards and firefighters.
According to witnesses, the fire broke out at around 10 a.m. on October 29 while the vehicle was parked in the hospital’s parking area. No one was inside the van when the blaze began.
Hospital cash clerk JP Ponay, who witnessed the incident, said he had just moved the van minutes before the fire started. “I went to the parking lot because some cars were double-parked,” he said. “After transferring the vehicle, I left it since I had other cars to fix at the back. When I came back about ten minutes later, the van was already on fire, and my co-workers were trying to put it out.”
Due to the intensity of the flames, the guards immediately called the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
FO2 Jonathan Pocyao of BFP La Trinidad confirmed that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. “As of now, we’re still determining what caused it,” he said. “It could be faulty wiring, but it remains under investigation.”
The owner of the vehicle, who refused to appear on camera, said he left the keys with the guard before going to the trading post.
He expressed shock at what happened to his vehicle.
The burned van has since been retrieved by its owner as authorities continue to determine the cause of the fire.
