The victims, who were sleeping at the time of the blaze, were trapped on the second floor of the wooden house when the fire started around 2 a.m. at the house’s ground floor occupied by the Jadenico family.
Only Antonio Jadenico survived the blaze after jumping out the window. He sustained burns on the different parts of his body and is now confined at a hospital for treatment. His wife and two children, however, were not as lucky.
Officers-on-case SPO3 Virgilio Dumandan of the Valencia City Police was reported on the Catholic radio station DXND as saying a year-old-baby, along with other members of the families, were trapped in the blaze.
Dumandan said local police are now helping identify the victims, whose bodies were charred beyond recognition.
Valencia City Police Office (VCPO) director Superintendent Melchor Bedasua, former chief of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) Intelligence Division, said the destruction cost was estimated at P2.5 million.
Valencia City Mayor Jose Galario promised to give P100,000 to the Jadenico family to help with funeral expenses.
He also promised to give P20,000, P10,000 and P5,000 each to the other families. — With John Unson