CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Four elderly persons, all of them siblings, were killed in a fire that gutted down two houses in Camiguin early Wednesday morning, the Bureau of Fire and Protection-10 (BFP-10) said.
The fire started at around 3:25 a.m. and was declared “fire out” at 7:20 a.m., BFP-10 said in a statement, placing the damage at about PHP1 million.
BFP-10 identified the casualties as Angelita Lao, 74; Tomasita Lao, 70; James Lao, 65; and Vergelio Lao, 64.
Angelita and Tomasita had been residing in the family’s ancestral house while James and Vergelio were just visiting their sisters, who were both single, Fire Officer 3 Sergio Virtudazo Jr. of the Mahinog fire station said.
Aside from the two sisters, also residing in the same house was Lorna Jaquilmac, 65, a retired government employee, and two children, who survived. The other house was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
Virtudazo said the fire, which originated at the top floor of the two-story residence, quickly spread as the house was made mostly of light materials. It was built in 1918.
“There were two teams who responded to the fire, but we could not get in and rescue the victims at the second floor since the fire was so intense. We tried our best but we could not get them out,” he said.
Chief Insp. Victor Rommel Cena, Mahinog police station commander, said the Lao brothers were in town for a brief visit and were supposed to leave Camiguin on Wednesday morning.
Cena said the neighbors didn’t notice the fire since they were still asleep and the conflagration occurred so fast.
He said the bodies of the victims were charred beyond recognition.
BFP-10 spokesperson Noli dela Rita said they are still conducting an investigation on the cause of the fire. (Jigger Jerusalem/PNA)
