Police, fire investigators puzzled over minor’s death in Asturias fire

A fire hit three establishments wherein a 9-year-old girl died after she was left inside a mini mart in Barangay Santa Lucia, Asturias on Tuesday, May 31. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police and fire investigators in Asturias town, northern Cebu are puzzled on how a minor ended up inside an establishment in barangay Santa Lucia that was burned down in a fire on Tuesday morning, May 31, 2022.

The nine-year-old girl was the lone fatality in the fire in Sitio Sangi that started at around 5 a.m.

Police Corporal Rene Vizcayno, desk officer of the Asturias Police Station, said the identity of the child has yet to be confirmed although a couple already went to their station on Tuesday afternoon to check if the body was that of their daughter who went missing.

As of this posting, he had no confirmation yet if the couple positively identified the child.

“Sa pagkakaron, unidentified pa ang bata. Ipaagi pa sa medico legal og mao ba gyud ang bata,” Vizcayno said.

(As of now, the child is still unidentified. We have to let it go through medico legal to check if she is indeed the child that is missing.)

The couple lives in Barangay Tubigagmanok, a neighboring village of Barangay Santa Lucia.

Police also said they still have no idea how the minor got inside the establishment pending investigation.

Initially, Vizcayno said that the couple who went there said that they did not know that their daughter left their house. It was early in the morning when they noticed she was not at home.

Later, they knew about the fire.

Three establishments, including the mini mart where the minor was found, were razed by the fire, leaving a total damage of property worth an estimated P270, 000.

Meanwhile, Fire Officer (FO2) Rogie Alcantara, chief investigator of the Asturias Fire Station, said they still have no leads on what started the fire.

With regards to the child, Alcantara reminds parents to always keep an eye on their children to avoid accidents like this.

Asturias is approximately 75 kilometer northwest of Cebu City.

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