An 80-year-old woman was killed in a fire in sitio Riverside, V. Rama Avenue, barangay Calamba, yesterday afternoon, one of three fire incidents reported yesterday.
Homicide investigator PO3 Buenaventura Ursaiz of Cebu City Police Office said SFO2 Felix Romero, the duty fire scene investigator, identified the victim only as a certain “Taling”.
The woman was said to be living alone in a shanty for some time now after a certain Dr. Eda Caban allowed her to build her home in the area. But it was not yet clear if Caban owned the lot where the shanty was built.
Ursaiz, based on information given by residents in the area, said the woman could barely walk because of arthritis.
Investigators said the fire was reported shortly before 4 p.m. and could have started from the dirty kitchen of the shanty.
Firemen immediately responded to the alarm and immediately doused the flames but were unable to save the victim.
Later at around 4:18 p.m., a fire broke out in barangay Inayawan but it was quickly put under control before it could spread to neighboring houses, said FO3 Daniel Relatado of Cebu City Bureau of Fire Protection.
Shortly before 7 p.m. last night, another fire broke out in Durano Compound along Juana Osmeña Blvd. but no one was hurt.
Last Friday afternoon, 17-year-old Radegundo Villarobe, Jr. died after a fire hit his house in sitio Libas, barangay Bonbon.
His parents were not in the house at the time and he was left on the second floor. Investigators said the victim was kept in the balcony because of his tendency to become violent. – Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP