Fire hit the Our Lady of Mercy General Hospital in Barangay Longos, Pulilan, before dawn on Dec 8, 2025, killing a patient in intensive care and prompting the evacuation of 17 others. - Supplied
PULILAN, Bulacan: A patient confined in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) died while 17 others were safely evacuated after a fire struck a hospital in this town before dawn on Monday (Dec 8).
Reports reaching the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said Marcelino Leonardo, a retired police officer confined at the ICU of Our Lady of Mercy General Hospital in Barangay Longos, died minutes after he was rescued and taken out of the building.
Leonardo and the 17 other patients were evacuated through an exit on the hospital’s third floor. He later expired despite being removed from the affected area.
Pulilan Mayor Rolando Peralta Jr told the Inquirer that the 17 other patients were successfully rescued and transferred to nearby hospitals.
According to reports received by Peralta’s office, the fire broke out at around 1am behind a refrigerator inside the hospital pharmacy on the second floor.
The blaze reached the third floor, where the ICU was located. The 17 other patients were in their rooms on the second floor when the fire broke out.
Firefighters battled the blaze for more than four hours before declaring it out at 5:40am.
Peralta thanked fire responders from Pulilan and neighbouring towns, as well as police and volunteer groups, for their swift action which prevented the fire from engulfing the entire hospital building and causing more casualties. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
