MANILA, Philippines — Saturday, October 9, a Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) train car caught fire near Guadalupe Station causing injury among 8 passengers.
MRT3 Director for Operations Michael Capati said some of the passengers had slipped and were bruised, but there were no burn injuries recorded so far.
Senator Grace Poe lamented the recent fire incident at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3), saying the government should be making sure that public transport remains safe, not only from COVID-19, but also from accidents.
“Our people expect the government to alleviate their transport woes amid the pandemic by sustaining the safe operation of public transport like the MRT.”
Senator grace poe
Sumitomo Corporation, the train line’s maintenance provider, issued an apology to commuters affected as well. The company said that an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze is already ongoing and that “all angles are being thoroughly examined.”
“We extend our deepest apologies to all our passengers who were affected by the incident, and that we are examining all possible angles to accurately determine its cause.”
Mrt-3 maintenance provider
Poe, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, reiterated that the government, besides big-ticket infrastructure projects, should also ensure maintenance of public transport as it is the “backbone of sustainable mobility which is essential to economic recovery.”
“The maintenance of the trains must be a critical part of government operations no less. Buhay ng ating mga kababayan ang nakataya dito (The lives of our countrymen are at risk here),” she pointed out.