CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 63-year-old paralytic grandfather and his grandson with mental disability died in a fire that razed their hut on Thursday, February 21, in a mountainous village in the town of Barili, 55.4 kilometers southwest of Cebu City.
Police Officer (Po3) Jeffrey Alpas, desk officer on duty of the Barili Police Station, told Cebu Daily News Digital by phone that personnel from the Cebu Electric Cooperative (Cebeco) called the police station to inform them about the fire that trapped and killed Vidal Tabor and his grandson Niño Tabor, 27.
According to Alpas, the incident happened earlier but they only learned about it at around 2 p.m. Personnel from the town’s police and Bureau of Fire Protection were only able to reach the area at 3:25 p.m. since the place was around 20 kilometers away from the town proper and was difficult to reach.
The grandfather and his grandson were likely unable to flee from the burning hut because of their respective condition, he said.
Alpas said they have yet to determine the cause of the fire. /elb
