IAS aids victims of the Rua de São Paulo fire

The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) dispatched social workers on Wednesday night to provide care and support for residents affected by a warehouse fire on Rua de São Paulo, where authorities suspect an electrical short circuit as the cause. Firefighters responded around 10 p.m. to extinguish flames that scorched an approximately 8-by-10-meter area. Authorities report that roughly 30 people evacuated the building independently before crews arrived. Two Filipinos — a 26-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman — were hospitalized. IAS has arranged temporary accommodation at its shelter in Ilha Verde for the two affected residents. No additional resettlement requests have surfaced so far.