The aftermath of the fire that broke out in a densely populated community in Sitio Sta. Lucia in Brgy. Tinago, Cebu City at dawn on Tuesday. | CDN Digital photo / Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Fire investigators do not discount the possibility that faulty electrical wiring may have caused the fire in Sitio Sta. Lucia in Brgy. Tinago, Cebu City that killed four individuals and injured nine others.
But this is yet to be established in their ongoing probe, according to Fire Officer 2 (FO2) Wendell Villanueva of the Cebu City Fire Station.
The fire that broke out at around 2 a.m. in a densely populated community in Brgy. Tinago killed couple Parulito Otadoy, 60, and Rosita, 54, and their teenage sons – Joseph and Jeffrey.
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Villanueva said the couple was trapped inside their second floor bedroom and may have been suffocated by the thick, black smoke coming from the fire.
On the other hand, their two teenage sons, who occupied a ground floor bedroom, were crushed when the second floor of their house crumbled.
Villanueva said the other family members managed to flee from their burning home.
Tinago fire
The Tuesday dawn fire in Brgy. Tinago was traced to have started at the three-storey house that the Otadoys occupy. The blaze also gutted 12 nearby homes and damaged three more.
It injured a total of nine individuals who were identified as Sean Roby Ruelan, 21; Rose Ann Otadoy, 33; Jemar Otadoy, 36; Emarie Otadoy, 36; Keira Marie Otadoy; Neil John Otadoy; Christopher Otadoy; and Dylan Otadoy.
ALSO READ: 45 houses razed in two dawn fires in separate villages in Cebu City
Narrow pathways
In a briefing on Tuesday morning, Villanueva said that a total of 57 firetrucks from the Cebu City Fire Station and those coming from neighboring localities responded to the fire alarm in Brgy. Tinago.
Firefighting was a challenge because of narrow pathways leading to Sitio Sta. Lucia.
The damage caused by the Tinago fire was pegged at P7 million, he added.
Fire victims that consist of 30 families or at least 90 individuals are currently taking shelter at the gymnasium in Brgy. Tinago.