Body of 6-year-old girl found in house hit by fire in Mandaue

CEBU CITY—The body of a 6-year-old girl was found inside a house that was damaged by a fire that hit Sitio Nangka, Barangay Ibabao, in Mandaue City late Friday afternoon.

The fatality was identified as Jessa Mae Bucar, one of the three children of Jesus Bucar, 27, and Madel Remedio, 26, whose house was one of the 55 structures damaged by the fire.

Bucar said he and Remedio were working in a slaughterhouse about 20 meters away from their house when the fire broke out past 2 p.m. on Friday.

His two other children—James, 8, and Jemar, 4—were able to run out of the house during the fire.

Mandaue City Fire Marshall Joel Abarquez said the blaze started from the second floor of the house of Visitacion Lucernas and quickly spread to nearby houses which were made of light materials.

Damage caused by the fire was pegged at P250,000.

Lucernas, who had a heart ailment, was later brought to the hospital after she complained of difficulty in breathing. RC