5 die in Tayabas City fire

LUCENA CITY, Philippines — At least five persons, four of them children, died in a two-hour fire that razed five houses in Tayabas City on Saturday night, police said on Sunday.

A report from the Quezon provincial police’s public information office said the fire started in the house of Virgilyn Chavez Rey and spread to four other houses in Sitio (sub-village) Walang Diyos in Barangay (village) Lalo at 10 p.m.

Firemen and rescuers said the bodies of Joana Marie Durante, 28; Paul Jake Durante Rey, 5; Diserie Durante Rey, 7; Julian Audrey Rey Balabies, 3; and John Lloyd Rey Balabies, 12, were found inside one of the houses after the fire was put out at midnight.

Fire Officer 1 Cristina Hermia of the Tayabas City fire station said  investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire./rga