CEBU CITY, Philippines — For six hours, over 500 residents were left homeless and one person, who was believed to be mentally ill, died after a fire suddenly broke in Sitio Panagdait, Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City in the afternoon of January 26, 2020.
The residents of Sitio Panagdait was supposedly celebrating its fiesta in honor of Señor Santo Niño, however, its festivity turned into chaos after a certain Guillermo Canabe Jr., who was under the influence of illegal drugs, intentionally lit a butane-filled canister, which exploded and started the fire.
The fire victims are temporarily sheltered at the barangay’s evacuation center located some 200 meters from the fire-hit area.
Here are the scenes in the aftermath of the fire that hit Sitio Panagdait in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City:
A fire victim looks at the house of Guillermo Canabe Jr., the man who intentionally lit a butane-filled canister, which exploded and started the fire.
A boy fetches a pail of water in a burned house.
Residents of Sitio Panagdait scavenge for items that can still be used.
A Panagdait resident checks his house which was completely burned down due to the 6-hour fire.
This is a window view of a three-storey structure showing the overall destruction of the fire.
Fire victims of Sitio Panagdait are temporarily sheltered at the barangay’s evacuation center.
/dbs