5 killed in Camarines Sur fire

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Five members of a family died when they were trapped by a fire shortly before midnight yesterday inside their upholstery shop residence in Barangay Santiago Old in Nabua, Camarines Sur, the police reported.

Superintendent Jonathan Ablang, Camarines Sur police director, identified the victims as Anastacio Parina,68; his wife Norminda, 37; their children Alvin, five; Erlina, three; and Vincent, one-year-old. The police were verifying a report that the mother was three-month pregnant.

Quoting initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Nabua town, Ablang said the fire could have been triggered by faulty electrical wiring that quickly gutted the residence due to the presence of upholstery materials, particularly the foams which were highly combustible.

“The investigation is still ongoing. But initially, probers see faulty electrical wiring could have led to the fire that instantaneously killed the trapped family,” Ablang told The STAR in a phone interview.

Ablang said firefighters immediately responded to a call from a certain Joseph Ortega that the upholstery shop which was also the residence of the victims was on fire.

“But our firemen said the fire spread so quickly and immediately killed the trapped victims, probably also due to the presence of the combustible materials in the upholstery shop,” Ablang said.

Further, at least five residential houses were razed to the ground by a fire caused by faulty electrical wiring in Barangay Magpapalayok, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, over the weekend.

However, police said no person was reported hurt in the fire that reportedly started from the house of a certain Moises Torres, 60.

The total damages was placed more than P1 million.

The report said the fire started at around 11 a.m. and declared on second alarmed. 

Firetrucks from San Leonardo and nearby towns arrived at the scene.  

Probers said the fire was caused a faulty electrical wiring in the second floor of the house of Torres.