Bacolod fire leaves 16 dead, 56 houses charred
BACOLOD CITY – Sixteen people were killed, including two 11-month old infants, in a pre-dawn fire that gutted 56 houses in Brgy. 19, Bacolod City yesterday.
Arson investigators of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) revealed that the fire started around 1 a.m. yesterday at the room of Gloria Abego in a two-storey boarding house owned by Margie Depacatibo.
A gas lamp inside Abego’s room allegedly caught a curtain resulting into a big fire. The presence of old septic tank inside her room contributed to the rapid spread of the fire because of high methane emission.
Abego sustained third degree burns and is presently confined in one of the hospitals in the city.
Negros Occidental Fire Marshall Chief Insp. Fred Trajeras identified the fatalities as: Novy Chavez, 12; Benjie Chavez, 6; Josephine Niño, 42; Ruel Niño, 13; Jovelyn Niño, 14; Jonefer Demandar, 45; Jonalyn Demandar, Leonita Amoda, 22; Eduardo Abejero, 40; Napoleon Abejero; Joselito Carbojosa, Karl Joshua Celes; Adam Pauline Celes, Analyn Celis and two 11-month old babies Joshua Demandar and Rosemarie Niño.
Bacolod City Division of Social Services Development head Sally Abelarde said that 56 houses were destroyed, 53 totally gutted by fire while 3 were partially gutted. As per head count, 80 families were recorded affected.
Bacolod City’s Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief Senior Inspector Pamela Rojane Candido said the fire was placed under control around 3:30 a.m.
Candido believed that most of those who died were not able to wake up because they were probably tired after coming home from the cemeteries to observe All Saints’ Day.
Candido said some of the fatalities may have been left behind after a stampede took place.
Candido said authorities dug up 14 bodies from the site before 7 a.m. yesterday. Two more bodies were later recovered from two houses during retrieval operations.
“The house was made of light materials. It seems that the house was congested, did not have a permit [to operate] and did not have the necessary safety precautions in case of fire,” she said in an ABS-CBN interview referring to Depakakibo’s house.
Candido said most of the fatalities were boarders who had just come home after observing All Saints’ Day. She said the victims who were on the second floor failed to get out of the house after the fire gutted the stairs.
As early as 2 a.m in the morning yesterday, Mayor Evelio Leoanardia led the city employees through DSSD, City Health Office, City Disaster Coordinating Council and City Engineers Office in delivering relief services to the fire victims.
Relief goods have been distributed to the victims while bulk of goods was also received by the DSSD at the barangay gym starting yesterday.
Punong Barangay Jocelyn Uychiat said her constituents really need great help especially relief goods and used clothings.
The Sangguniang Barangay has declared state of calamity yesterday to use portion of their calamity fund for additional relief operations.
Mabini Elementary School has been set as the evacuation center of the fire victims including the barangay gym.
Vice-Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said the city will give burial assistance to the victims and financial assistance as well.
He was saddened by the incident and he also appealed for help from other sectors.
Media reports said that the number of casualties in yesterday’s early morning fire was the biggest so far in Bacolod City since the 1930s. (With reports from ABS-CBN Bacolod)
