2 children killed in Lapu-Lapu fire

CEBU, Philippines - Two young boys were killed after a fire broke out in their rented house in Sitio Sacred Heart, Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, last Monday afternoon.

Victims, Chris Joshua Maiz, three years old, and Joshua Christian Maiz, two years old, were playing inside a bedroom at the ground floor of the two-story house while their elder brother, Christian, 13, was minding the Internet café of their landlady, Elizabeth Buenaflor, when the fire broke out.

The rented house of the victims was an extension of the house of Buenaflor.

The Lapu-Lapu City Fire Station received the alarm around 4:32 p.m.

FO3 Climaco Salisid, fire investigator, said that Christian left his two younger brothers to drink water.

“Nigawas daw kadyot si Chrisitan aron moinom ug tubig, pagbalik niya gi-abrehan ang kuwarto wa na, nagkalayo na, nisamot ka kusog ang kayo kay pag abre sa door nikusog pud ang hangin,” Salisid said.

It was Anthony, the son of Buenaflor, who noticed the fire which started at the room of the house, and he immediately called for help.

The father of the victims, Rodulfo, arrived but was unable to rescue his children because the fire had already engulfed the house.

“Nilakaw na iyang papa murag paminaw nga di na matabang iyang anak,” Salisid said.

The victims’ parents work in a canteen at the Shangri-la Hotel and Resort. At the time of the fire Rodulfo was in a nearby house while his wife was at work.

Chris Joshua was found dead in a prone position while Joshua Christian was lying on his back. Both were believed to have died by smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators believe the fire was caused by a faulty light switch, based on their initial assessment of the scene.

Salisid also said the days prior to the incident, the family of the victims reported seeing sparks coming from their light bulb, but they just ignored it because it returned to normal a few minutes after.

“Maoy ilang nabantayan nga sige mokalit lang daw ug spark ilang suga ug wa lang sad nila panumbalinga kay mobalik ra man sad dayon sa normal inig ka taud-taud Salisid added.

He further explained that when a light bulb blinks, the supply of the current is fluctuating because there is something wrong with the circuit.

The fire was declared controlled within two minutes after firemen arrived at the scene and complete fire out was achieved at 6 p.m. It failed to spread ro neighboring houses because of a firewall.

Damaged was pegged at P300,000.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)