| Photo courtesy of Ramil Ayuman
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The number of individuals, who lost their homes after an early morning fire on Monday, September 20 in Barangay Labangon, has climbed to over 600.
Based on the latest report from the city government, a total of 688 people, or 182 families, were affected by the fire that erupted in a densely populated residential area in Sitio Labsalex, Barangay Labangon.
A total of 125 houses were burned, of which 109 were gutted while 14 others were damaged.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, chief of the council’s committee on disaster and risk reduction, said most of the victims were temporarily staying in nearby public schools.
“They will be staying in our temporary evacuation centers at Don Sergio Osmeña Memorial National High School. We have already provided food, and doctors and medicines are on their way to the victims,” said Tumulak in a series of messages.
The city government has also deployed several buses to ferry those who were taking shelter in Barangay Labangon’s gym to the designated evacuation site.
No one was dead or injured due to the fire.
Fire investigators pegged the damage to property at P1.5 million.
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