Fire destroys at least 10 houses in sitio Fatima in barangay Apas, Cebu City. Most of the victims are persons with disabilities. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
At least 10 houses made of light materials in a densely-packed community in sitio Fatima, barangay Apas, Cebu City were razed by fire last night.
Fire Officer 2 Nelson Daculan, fire investigator, said in an interview over radio dyAB that a mobile phone charger or a television was believed to have exploded and caused the fire.
Two were reported hurt while running away from the fire scene. Damage was placed at P120,000.
The fire alarm was tapped at 7:25 p.m. It was declared under control about 15 minutes later, Daculan said.
He said the fire allegedly started in the house of a certain Maximo Kahasol.
Amparo Aparece, who was interviewed over the radio, said a mobile phone charger caught fire while it was plugged into a power outlet at the second floor of her home. A neighbor alerted her about the fire.
Aparece, a person with disability (PWD), said most of the fire victims are PWDs.
Firefighters had trouble reaching the area, which is elevated, because of narrow access roads.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, who was at the site, said penetrators, or small fire trucks, were deployed instead.
He said he’ll meet with the Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) on Thursday morning to discuss the assistance that will be extended to the affected families.
“They (DSWS) will have to prepare food, financial assistance and materials for rebuilding. This is a government-owned property so re-blocking should not be a problem,” Labella said.
He said clearing and re-blocking the area will be the priority today.
The fire victims will temporarily stay at the barangay sports complex, but will soon be relocated to a school.