Four kids die in fire

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — They survived the 2013 Yolanda disaster, but the four children of the Morales family died in a fire that razed the two-storey semi-concrete structure at Barangay 78 in Marasbaras district, this city, at 4:50 a.m. yesterday.

The four children—aged 14, 11, 9 and 4—of couple Glen and Maribel Morales were sleeping inside the room at the second floor when the fire ate up the entire building. Their parents locked the room, as they left for the public market that dawn.

Tacloban City Fire investigator, SFO2 Anthony Alvin Duran said the charred remains of the children were later recovered by firefighters, and were taken to a funeral parlor for an autopsy to be conducted by the police.

Duran said investigation was still going on to determine the cause of the fire, which was put out at about 5:20 a.m. or close to an hour after the fire department received the fire alarm.

“We cannot divulge yet what caused the fire because, as of now, a team of arson investigators are still on the process of getting data and evidences,” Duran said.

The parents of the victims, who were on a state of shock, could only say “it was really terrible.” A sobbing Maribel told The Freeman: “Maybe God has a plan for us. During typhoon Yolanda, God saved my children, but this time they were taken from us in one time.”

Myla Tan, the owner of the razed building, next to her house, said the noise coming from the burning structure awakened her. She said that when she got out from her house, there was already a big fire.

The first floor of the gutted building was utilized by the Morales family as a cafeteria and a vulcanizing shop. (FREEMAN)