People were forced to jump to safety after a festival booth erupted in flames and left nine attendees injured.
The fire broke out at the Canlaon City booth during the Buglasan Festival in Dumaguete City, Philippines, on Wednesday evening (21 October).
Footage shows attendees leaping from the booth as the flames spread.
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Thankfully, the nine victims only suffered abrasions and minor burns. They were taken to two local hospitals and are now in a stable condition.
Firefighters received the emergency call at 9.04pm and arrived three minutes later, as reported by Need To Know.
The blaze was brought under control by 9.09pm and declared extinguished at 9.15pm.
The festival committee said initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection indicated that the fire was “electrical and accidental in nature”.
Two police officers also tried to tackle the flames with a fire extinguisher before moving away when the situation became too dangerous.
They later returned to help evacuate people and guide them to safety, according to the provincial police.
The heat also damaged the reflective vest worn by one of the officers.
Following the incident, governor of Negros Oriental province, Manuel Sagarbarria, ordered an immediate safety inspection of all festival booths.
Canlaon City Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas expressed sadness over the damage to the booth, which had been built by local artists and contributors to showcase the city’s culture and heritage.
“The fire damaged our booth, but it did not extinguish the pride and spirit of Canlaon City,” he said.
The festival committee said: “The Provincial Government reassures the public, visitors, and participants that the highest standard of safety protocols is in place.”
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