BULAKAN, Bulacan—Two senior high school girls and a nearly 2 year old boy were killed in a 24-minute fire in a village in this town on Friday.
Bulakan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Chief Rosario Mariano identified the victims as Irish Clouie Panambo, 16, her brother, Jaden Ivan Alvarez, 1 year and 7 months old and their cousin Jerylien Gail Hernandez, 15.
Mariano said the fire broke out at 1:06 p.m. at the house of their grandmother, identified as Ma. Evelyn Dela Cruz Silva at No. 2158 Purok 2 in Barangay Bambang. It was declared a fire out at 1:30 p.m.
Mariano quoting initial investigation reports by the Bulakan Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) office said the fire was caused by a faulty electric wiring over usage of an electric fan. The fire easily engulfed the room because it was made of light materials, Mariano said.
According to her, the bodies of the victims were already charred when BFP and MDRMMO personnel arrived.
The three victims were having an afternoon nap inside an extension room at the back of the house when the fire broke out. Another child member of the family who was sleeping with them managed to run for safety and had sought help from village authorities.
Mariano told NEWSCORE on Saturday that the room has a window but it was too small for the victims to jump out. However, they could have been safer if they managed to reach the river outside the window, Mariano added.
Panambo who is based in Metro Manila and Alvarez in Laguna, went home to the house of their grandmother for the 9th day of prayer for their grandfather who died last week.
