A child looks at dead pigs that were burned alive at Barangay Duljo-Fatima. Around P1.5 million worth of properties, including this piggery, were damaged by the fire that lasted seven hours affecting five sitios. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
A fire hit a densely populated urban poor village in Cebu City on Thursday night and damaged at least 200 houses in five sub-villages.
Investigators placed estimated cost of damage to properties at P1.5 million.
The blaze started in Sitio Bohol, Barangay Duljo-Fatima and later spread to four other sitios — Duco, Riverside, Continental, and Plastikan –before it was put under control around 1:10 a.m. Friday, said SFO1 Edwin Handayan of Cebu City Fire Department.
The fire was put out five hours later or at 6:25 a.m.
He said they had yet to determine the cause of the fire that started from the house of Cherryl Sarmellon in Sitio Bohol.
Two firemen and seven civilians suffered minor injuries.
The number of affected households had not been determine as of 9 a.m. on Friday.
“We are still also counting the number of families and individuals affected by the fire,” he said.
Fire victims were brought to the Duljo-Fatima Barangay Hall and at the Barangay Sports Complex.