Three persons trapped inside burning house die

Three persons were trapped inside the burning Ouano residence . The fire spread quickly and razed four other houses in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia, Mandaue City). (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)

AN early morning fire took the lives of three family members, including a teenager, as the victims were trapped inside their house inside the Ouano Compound along S.B. Cabahug St., Barangay Ibabao-Estancia, Mandaue City yesterday.

Another family member, Aida Ouano, 40, was able to survive as she braved the flaming staircase to escape the burning house. She sustained third degree burns and was given first aid by ambulance medical team who transported her to the Chong Hua Hospital at the Mandaue Reclamation Area, where she is in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the facility.

The fatalities were identified as Nestor Ouano, 60, his sister Ma. Lyn Ouano-King, 50, and her daughter, May Crislyn King, a 16- year-old student of St. Louis School of Mandaue.

Nestor was found inside the comfort room at the second floor, while Ma. Lyn and May Crislyn were in the living room. The fatalities were believed to have been suffocated by the smoke.

Former Ibabao-Estancia Barangay Captain Alfredo Ouano also lived in the same building but separated with walls and doors. The fatalities were his cousins. He was able to escape the burning house but could not rescue his cousins.

It was already around 11:00 a.m. when the bodies were moved out from the fire site after the SOCO personnel concluded its evidence gathering.

A report from the Mandaue Fire Station said five two-storey houses were burned, one owned by the Ouanos, two belonging to the family of Eduardo Teves, one owned by Alicia Biagan, who also owns St. Jude Funeral Homes, and one owned by Christopher Biagan.

St. Jude personnel serviced the fatalities.

Vicente Chavez, 47, who was at the St. Jude Chapel, where his father lay in state, saw Aida Ouano coming out of her burning residence.

He immediately asked the chapel personnel to transfer the casket containing his father’s remains to another building. But, it was also occupied so the casket was placed in a tent along the road.

Witnesses said the fire started at around 5 a.m. but the firemen received the alarm at 5 :31 a.m. They immediately responded with firetrucks and controled the fire at 6:07 a.m. The fire was totally doused at 6:21 a.m.

The fire spread rapidly to the two houses owned by Eduardo Teves, which were made of concrete and light materials, and then to the two houses owned by Alicia Biagan and Christopher Biagan.

These houses were built in the 1950s and 1960s, some were remodeled at the front and the ground floor.

Alicia Biagan opened the ground floor of her house as a wake service area.

S.B. Cabahug street was closed to traffic and was reopened around 9:30 a.m.

Mandaue Mayor Luigi Quisumbing who went there early morning, tasked his personnel to provide whatever service was necessary to those who needed help.

“We may provide the needed services if they need our assistance and see what else we can do to help the fire victims,” said Quisumbing.

Cause of the fire could not immediately be determined.