Baby girl killed, sister hurt in Cebu City fire

CEBU CITY, Philippines—A one-year-old girl was killed while her 3-year-old sister suffered burns when a fire broke out in their house in Cabancalan 1, Bulacao, Cebu City, shortly before 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Cebu City fire marshal, Senior Superintendent Aderson Comar, identified the fatality as Jamaica Jintapan, who was left at home with her elder sister. (Comar was not able to get the name of the three-year-old girl at the time of this interview.)

Comar said their parents, Albert and Elinita Jintapan, left the two children in the care of Albert’s 16-year-old sister. However, the sister left the house and went to the river, Comar said in a text message.

Asked if the door was locked, Comar said, he only knew that the door was closed but could not say if it was locked.

The neighbors rescued the 3-year-old girl who suffered first-degree burns. She was taken to the Cebu City Medical Center for treatment.

The fire broke out at 5:46 p.m. but was placed under control after two minutes. The damage was pegged at P25,000. Only the house, reportedly owned by Infineda Jintapan but occupied by the Jintapan couple and their children, was razed.

Comar said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The Bulacao fire was the second to hit Cebu City on Tuesday. At past 10 a.m., a fire also broke out in Hipodromo, which razed seven houses.