Alone in their house: 4 kids die in fire

An early morning fire in Sitio Capaculan Barangay Tisa, Cebu City yesterday killed four children, ages 11 months to 10 years old.

Authorities identified them as Angelo Bayaton, 10; his brother Cyrille, six; their one-year-old sister, Christina; and their 11-month-old cousin, Amari Zane Cabornay.

The fire destroyed five houses and damaged two others.

Amari’s parents, Pristine, 30, and Gelo, 31, and his six-year-old brother Zachary Blake, also suffered burns trying to save him and the other victims. They were treated at Cebu City Medical Center.

Upon learning of the incident, Mayor Michael Rama ordered a “massive re-blocking” and the opening of more access roads in the city, as preventive measures.

Though he is on vacation in Australia, the mayor regularly keeps tab of the happenings in the city and issue orders for the city government.

Yesterday, he extended his condolences to the affected families, via his regular program over the city’s Sugboanon Channel social media platform, and instructed acting mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and concerned departments to attend to the fire victims.

In an interview, Garcia said that aside from a P20,000 financial assistance and construction materials, the City Government would also provide food to the victims for the next three days.

“Kay nasayod ta nga bag-o pa kaayo, shocking pa kaayo ni nila, the last thing in their minds is to eat. So, mao na, kitay mo-provide sa food,” he told reporters yesterday.

Garcia also said that the city would likewise provide burial assistance and shoulder the victims’ hospital bills.

He expressed hope that the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) and concerned national agencies could provide additional assistance, aside from what he mentioned.

According to investigators, the fire broke out around 5:51 a.m. in the house shared by the Bayaton and Cabornay families. Responding firefighters put out the fire at 6:15 a.m., or 24 minutes later.

Before the incident, the parents allegedly went out early to sell food near their home, leaving behind the children who were still sleeping on the second floor of the house.

Elmer Cabornay, the children’s uncle, said they were alerted to the fire when they heard the children crying and asking for help.

He said they still saw Angelo hugging his siblings until fire engulfed and silenced them.

After the flames were extinguished, the children were found burned beyond recognition.

The Cebu City Fire Station is still investigating the cause of the fire.

“Daghang anggulo ang atong gitan-aw sa atong mga fire arson investigators as regards to the cause of fire, kay naay mga istorya nga mao ni naay nagdaob, naay istorya nga sa pagluto mismo, ug uban pa,” said Senior Fire Officer 2 Wendell Villanueva, Cebu City Fire Office (CCFO) spokesperson.

“Mao nga tanang anggulo, tanang giistorya sa atoa nga naa didto, ato nang gihangop aron sa maong paagi makuha gyud nato unsay hinungdan sa sunog,” he added.

CCFO placed the estimated damage caused by the fire at P525,000.

Garcia said he spoke with the children’s parents and learned that the incident happened so fast for them to react on time.

“Kalit kuno kaayo ang nahitabo, unya natulog sila….  Ang mga bata were trapped inside, wala na nila naabtan. Unya nangutana bitaw ko unsay cause sa fire, dili sila ka answer kay all of them were sleeping. So, mao nang lisod kaayo kay kadlawon man gud nahitabo,” he said.

Tisa Barangay Captain-elect Bernardo “Ada” Lapiña, Jr. said the fire also displaced 14 families comprising 53 persons. The affected residents are currently sheltered at Tisa 1 National High School.

“Kung gabii, ari lang sa sila matulog sa Tisa National High School, kay naa may tent. Pero makabalik ra na sila sa ilang lugar kay ilaha man to,” he said.

Re-blocking

Meanwhile, on the re-blocking, Rama said it should not just be in Tisa but in all densely populated areas of the city.

“Apil gyud ni siya nga maka-reduce anang mga dagkong sunog. We will pursue a preventive re-blocking in areas nga huot na kaayo,” he said.

He cited the re-blockings he implemented in barangays Basak Pardo, Carreta, Cogon Pardo, Lorega San Miguel, Punta Princesa, Tejero, and T. Padilla, which he said are all success stories.

The mayor named city councilors Phillip Zafra, Noel Wenceslao, and Franklyn Ong as “re-blocking czars,” with Zafra handling the implementation in the south district and Wenceslao in the north district.

Rama said those who would be affected by the re-blocking should be temporarily sheltered in schools and the barangay halls.

He said that those who could no longer return after the re-blocking could avail of the city government’s medium- or high-rise housing projects.

The mayor also said that aside from re-blocking, the city would pursue the opening of more access roads and the construction of eight bridges.

“Roads must be opened with width nga dili maghuot ang firetrucks,” he said.

Rama said the re-blocking and the opening of access roads would not only improve emergency response but would also help solve the problem on trash, as the areas would already be accessible to garbage trucks.(BANAT NEWS)