CEBU, Philippines - Faulty electrical wiring was blamed in a fire that claimed that life of an 8-year-old boy and gutted seven houses at Barangay Rizal Pala-Pala Zone-1 of the city proper in Iloilo City Saturday morning.
When found, John Rey Pacardo’s body was beyond recognition. His charred remains were lying in the room of his grandfather’s house, Rolando Castro.
The boy is the second child of couple Marites and Rodney Pacardo. The mother went to her stall at the terminal market and left behind the sleeping boy. The father, a tricycle driver, was in Passi City when the fire broke out.
According to John Rey’s grandfather, he sprinted to their burning house but it was already too late, as the fire spread quickly and razed down neighboring houses, all made of light materials.
Narrow alleys and overcrowded houses that stood in rows of illegal settlers’ community gave a hard time for firemen to penetrate the fire and put off the fire. At 9:15 a.m., the fire was put off, but it left an estimated damage of P1.5 million. (FREEMAN)