Widow, daughter killed in Lapu fire

CEBU, Philippines - She would have survived had motherly instinct not brought her running back into their burning house to save her daughter.

A former assistant to the chief of the Cebu City Medical Center, a newsman’s widow, and her 32-year-old daughter were charred to death in an early morning blaze in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday.

The victims were identified as Bella Veloso, 76, and her daughter Jewel. They were trapped inside Jewel’s room at their residence located along Daisy Street, Phase 1, Camella Homes, Barangay Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.

Bella was also the widow of newsman Wilfredo ‘Boy’ Veloso.

The fire reportedly started in the master’s bedroom occupied by Bella allegedly due to an electric fan that overheated. 

Veloso, the former assistant to the Chief of Hospital for Administration at the CCMC, was reportedly asleep when the fire broke out at around 6:30 a.m.

Her son-in-law, Inocencio Cueme, who just came from work, was about to sleep when he noticed the fire.

 Veloso’s two other daughters Angie and Jiji were already out when the fire broke out. Angie was at work while Jiji was on her way to school.

 Cueme in an interview said that he was awakened by the commotion and the barking of their pet dog. He immediately took his two children and a niece out of the house.

 Bella, who was reportedly awaken when the electric exploded, was already about to get out of their house when she returned inside to save Jewel.

Jewel, who was reportedly a special child, was sleeping in a room adjacent to the master’s bedroom.

The two never managed to get out. Their charred bodies were recovered at Jewel’s room hours after the fire put out.

 The fire was contained in just three minutes, but it was totally put out only an hour and a half after firemen arrived at the scene. 

According to Lapu-lapu city Fire Marshal F/Supt. Victor Vibares, only the second floor of the victim’s house was totally burned while the first floor was only damaged by the water.

Luckily, the fire failed to spread to neighboring houses. Vibares said that further investigation will be conducted even if initial findings showed that an electric fan could have been the cause.

 Damage to property at the Veloso home was pegged at P250,000.

Another fire

 Four hours after the fire in Camella Homes, another one hit the kitchen of a residence in barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City. Vibares said that the stockroom that was converted into a kitchen in the house owned by Jose Sollano,68, was partially damaged when a family member left the kitchen while cooking food.

Damaged was the wall of the kitchen that was made of highly-flammable amacan.

Neighbors, who came to the rescue were able to put out the blaze before the firemen arrived.

Damage was pegged at P1,500 only.

Vibares said it was the fifth fire to occur in Lapu-Lapu City for this year and since the start of the fire prevention month last March 1, there have been three incidents.

 Last Saturday three persons also died in a fire that hit Barangay Pardo in Cebu City. —/NLQ (FREEMAN)