Photo by Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Two persons remained missing after a fire hit a residential area in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Cebu City on Tuesday afternoon, August 31.
Based on the latest report from the Cebu City Fire Office, they are still looking for the whereabouts of a senior citizen named Lilian Carvajal, 72, and a 58-year-old person with disability (PWD) identified as Ivan Meija.
Carvajal and Meija were believed to be residents of Arlington Pond in Barangay Sta. Cruz where an afternoon blaze burned down 15 houses and commercial spaces.
The fire claimed the lives of five people, including three minors and a teenager. The victims were identified as Hannah Mae Carvajal, 34; Felicity Sachi Carvajal, 12; Lyka Carvajal, 16; Andre Carvajal, 6; and Dan Henry Carvajal, 3.
Three firefighters also sustained injuries when the fire broke out.
Fire Inspector Eraño Fernandez had burns on his left hand and left foot while Fire Officer 1 Torencio Lape and Fire Volunteer John Robert Rallos had wounds on their left palm and left wrist respectively.
A total of 10 fire trucks responded to the fire alarm that started in the house owned by a certain Lizabeth Lao.
Fire investigators received the fire alarm at 2:03 p.m. and immediately raised it to 1st alarm since the fire site was located just a few meters away from a tertiary hospital.
Firefighters managed to put the flames under control around 20 minutes later, and by 3:41 p.m. they declared it fire out.
A total of 15 structures were affected of which 10 were totally burned. Damage was pegged at P11 million.
Investigators are still determining the cause of the tragedy and verifying reports that an explosion was heard shortly before the fire started.
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