Overheated TV might have caused blaze: Mother, 3 kids die in Lapu-Lapu fire

A mother’s love for her children resulted to their fiery deaths yesterday dawn when a fire hit the home of a young couple in sitio Locatha, barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City.

Mercidita Calago Flores, 36 years old, had the chance to escape the inferno after she led out her only daughter from their burning house, but returned to save three other children.  She and the three remaining children all died in the fire.

The other fatalities were identified as 14-year-old Jade Lawrence, 8-year-old Harold Philip, and one-year-old Lloyd Junel.

The lone survivor among the children is ten-year-old Jessa Mae, the only daughter.  Their househelp, Cheryl Catausan, 17 years old, also escaped from the burning house. 

The two survivors both sustained burns in different parts of their bodies.

Jonathan Flores, Mercidita’s husband, was at work in one of the companies inside the Mactan Export Zone at the time of the blaze.

“Dako na man kaayo ang kayo gikan sa sala unya si Maam iyang unang gi rescue ang iyang anak babaye si Jessamae ug  gikuhag balik ang laing tulo wa na siya makabalik,” the still shaken Catausan narrated.

  The fire started in the living room said Lapu-Lapu City Fire Marshal Ricardo Cornelio, who suspects that there was electrical misuse noting that the television set was not unplugged.

The teary eyed Jessamae recalled how her mother woke her.

“Giuna man ko ug kuha ni mama ug gitunol ko niya sa akong yaya unya nibalik siya sa sud sa room pagkuha sa akong mga igsoon pero wala na siya makabalik.”

Jessamae suffered first degree burns on her feet.

Jonathan immediately rushed to the scene after learning of the fire that hit his neighborhood and was shocked to later learn that it was his home and family that perished.

Both Mercidita and her four children were sleeping inside the master’s bedroom while Catausan slept at the adjacent room.

 “Dako na gyud kaayo ang kayo dili na gyud matabang” Catausan said.

 The bodies of the four victims were found in different locations inside the burnt house, fire investigators said.

  Luckily, the neighboring houses were spared.

Fire investigators pegged the damage at P200,000.

Jessa Mae, in an interview over Balitang Bisdak yesterday expressed her sadness by greeting her mother a happy birthday after failing to greet her during her birthday a few days ago.

Meanwhile, the class adviser of Jade Lawrence and his classmates in school said over the same local television newscast that he was a joyful student, who listened always listened during class discussions.

Lapu-Lapu City Vice Mayor Mario Amores told reporters that he will do something to help the Flores family and will ask the city council to tackle this in their next session.

Last August, a 74-year old Nicolas Bacerna and his 64 year-old wife Leona, and two of their grandchildren, Jasmine, 3, and Christina Ibos, 1, died in an evening fire in barangay Poblacion of Daanbantayan town.

Fire fighters said, the fire may have been caused by a toppled kerosene lamp that was accidentally kicked by one of the children.  — with Edwin Ian Melecio/NLQ