Three perished and several are injured due to Fire at Chamber of Commerce Building in Guayaquil

Firefighters of Guayaquil attended the emergency in the Chamber of Commerce. Photo: El Universo Newspaper

All people have already been evacuated, as reported by firefighters.

Rocío Alvarado Flores, Estefany Shirley Cepeda Briones, 40 and 28, and an eight months neonate died yesterday because of the fire that occurred in the Chamber of Commerce building in the north of Guayaquil.

The first victim died after slipping on the fourth floor while trying to down a window, while Cepeda died suffocated inside the building.

The Speaker of the Chamber, Eduardo Peña explained that the smoke prevented a quick stairs evacuation of the employees in the building. The fire burned some offices on the fourth floor of one of the towers of the Chamber of Industry.

Just after 14:30 (GTM), two military helicopters reached the top of the building in order to try to evacuate those who were inside. There is no on-site helipad.

The fire started around 13:30 (GTM) in the basement, according to witnesses who were having lunch at the restaurant in the basement of the building of Chambers.

Via Twitter, several users posted pictures that showed the smoke comming from the upper floors of the building. (FL)