Fires kill 1 in Minglanilla, destroy 5 stores in Liloan

CEBU, Philippines - A woman who reportedly suffered from a stroke was killed when a fire hit her home yesterday afternoon in a subdivision in Minglanilla, southern Cebu, while an early morning fire also ate up five commercial establishments in the northern town of Liloan.

Estrella Panuncia, 59, died from suffocation. She suffered major burns on her body when an afternoon blaze damaged her home in Nitrogen Street, Deca Homes Phase 3 Subdivision in Barangay Tungkil yesterday.

The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. yesterday. Fire investigators said that the fire destroyed an estimated P10,000 worth of property.

Moymoy Yumang, 22, a resident of the area, revealed that he saw smoke coming out of the second floor of the house. Seeing that the smoke was getting bigger, he immediately called for help from his neighbors.

Yumang added that he saw Panuncia's housemaid, Erlinda Doremon, coming out of the house and seeking their help to douse the flames. They immediately used pails of water from their homes and succeeded in controlling the blaze.

In a separate interview, Doremon revealed that she was doing the laundry in the first floor of Panuncia's house just minutes before the fire occurred. Panuncia was sleeping in the second floor just before the incident happened.

After the incident, Doremon remembered that the electric fan inside Panuncia's room was the only appliance turned on at that time and may have exploded, causing the fire.

But if there was an explosion, she never heard it, Doremon added.

Panuncia's widower, Peter, told reporters that he could accept that his wife was dead but he asked why Doremon failed to rescue his wife from the fire.

However, he clarified that he has not spoken with Doremon since the incident. He was at his office in a brewery in Mandaue City when he received reports that his house was struck by fire.

Peter also added that with his wife's body found near her window, he believed that she was attempting to call help from her neighbors.

FO2 Rafael Basabe, investigator of the Minglanilla Fire Station, revealed that based on the testimony of a certain Romeo Nacion, there were attempts to rescue Panuncia but these failed after the burning ceiling of the second floor suddenly fell on her.

Basabe also explained that they failed to immediately respond to the incident because it was too late when they received the alarm. He revealed that an employee of the Minglanilla Municipal Hall had called them regarding the incident.

Basabe said that they believe the fire started from Panuncia's electric fan but they still have to check other possibilities.

In another incident, five commercial spaces in Poblacion, Liloan were eaten up by a fire a few meters from the Municipal Hall at 1:05 a.m. yesterday.

An estimated P400,000 worth of properties went up in smoke including a pawnshop, two carenderias and two vacant spaces.

The carenderias were owned by Jasmine Pepito and Cecil Aligno while the pawnshop was owned by Esther Balverde.

The fire started at Aligno's carenderia and spread to the other places that were made of light materials.

Deputy Rolando C. Capoy, attending fire officer, said no one was hurt in the incident.

Meanwhile in Cebu City, the Cebu City Government denied there was commotion in Baranggay Ermita yesterday after the city sent a bulldozer for the re-blocking of the fire-hit area to widen its roads.

Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu City Administrator Atty. Jose Marie Poblete said they did not receive any report from their command center about it.

Poblete said they already talked to the residents the other night regarding the clearing yesterday and the residents agreed.

He added that the residents also agreed to wait 10 to 15 days before they can go back to their respective places because of the clearing works.

Residents are still concerned on the possibility that they could no longer go back to their areas but Poblete said they will do their very best to complete the re-blocking as soon as possible.

Rama said that part of the plan would be the widening of the road in the area and proper lay out of the new houses. He assured that residents will be able to come back to their places as soon as the re-blocking will be done.

"Dili gyud na mahitabo nga mapahawa sila. As much as possible i-accommodate gyud ang tanan, mao nga magblocking ta, pero gihangyo gyud namu ang residents nga mopailob lang usa ug mopasensiya," Poblete said.(We will accommodate all of them, we only ask for their understanding and patience now.)

Those living near the sea, however, will be relocated because the suggestion to reclaim the sea for them is not immediately attainable. - Leslie Caminade-Vestil, Christina B. Ybañez, Lovella Flores, and Marigold P. Lebumfacil/JPM (FREEMAN)