A four-year-old girl, who had polio, was burned alive when she got trapped in a fire that engulfed and razed her house at sitio Danao in barangay Lower Becerril, Boljoon the other day.
Boljoon fire marshal, Senior fire officer 1 Julde Deposa, said the fatality was identified as Melissa Garganta. “Namatay gyud ang bata kay na-trap man siya sulod sa balay nga nagkayo,” he said.
The girl was with her 5-year-old sister when the fire struck at around 9:30am. The older girl was able to escape and survive but there were reports that she was playing matches minutes before the fire.
Deposa said the blaze spread fast because the house was made of light materials, and it was situated at a place that would make any immediate response almost impossible.
“Gawas nga bukid layo pa gyud kaayu ang kuha-anan og tubig nga magamit hasta mga silingan layo pod kay nagpatong man ni sa bongtod nga balaya,” Deposa said, adding that the damage to property was estimated at about P12,000.
Investigations showed that Melissa’s mother was not in the house at the time of the incident. “Wala ang inahan sa biktima dihang nasunog ang ilang panimalay kay nanglabada sa ilang silingan,” Deposa said.
Melissa’s two other older sisters were also in school at the time, he said. — Garry B. Lao/RAE