LAPU-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza in a meeting with police and barangay captains ordered the arrest of dealers of refilled butane canisters following two recent fires in the city.
Refilled butane canisters, which are prohibited by a city ordinance, are considered very dangerous because they are highly susceptible to fire.
Radaza lamented that while a butane refilling station in Barangay Pajac had already been ordered closed by the city, she had yet to hear of anyone apprehended for transporting butane canisters.
Radaza called on Lapu-Lapu residents, especially those in thickly populated areas, to refrain from using refilled butane canisters and to exercise caution by checking all electrical connections and leaks on LPG tanks.
More than a hundred victims of Tuesday’s fire in Purok Kapayas, Barangay Canjulao, Lapu-Lapu City have sought temporary shelter at the Canjulao Elementary School, including the family of an octogenarian and her granddaughter who both perished in the blaze.
The family of fatalities Aurea Jumao-as, 86, and Jane Ycong, 14, were given an initial financial assistance by the city government to help defray funeral expenses.
Radaza said that all the fire victims would eventually get financial assistance after the City Council approves the budget for them including the victims of another fire which struck Sitio Sudtunggan in Barangay Basak earlier.
Fire investigators have yet to determine the cause of both fires although explosions, believed to be from butane canisters and LPG tanks, were heard during the blaze.
SFO2 Climaco Salisid, fire investigator of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Central District, said initial findings on the Canjulao fire pointed to electrical misuse as the cause.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided the 21 families in Canjulao with packed meals, rice, canned goods, medicines and clothing.