Ma, daughter die in Cebu fire

CEBU CITY, Philippines—A mother and her daughter died in a fire that damaged their house in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu around 6:30 a.m. Monday.

Lapu-Lapu City homicide investigator PO1 Brigido Paca identified the fatalities as Bella Veloso, 76, and Jewel, 32, of Phase 1, Camella Homes, Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City.

P02 Erwin Sinadjan of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station 2, said Veloso was with sleeping with Jewel, a mentally-challenged person, in their room at the second floor when she was awakened by the fire in the room.

Sinadjan said Veloso rushed outside the room to awaken her son-in-law, Inocencio Cueme, who was sleeping with his two children at the adjacent room.

Sinadjan said Cueme told them that Veloso went back to her room to save her daughter but she was trapped along with Jewel inside the burning room.

Sinadjan said the fire might have been caused by an overheated electric fan.

Cebu had been experiencing fire incidents almost everyday this March, which has been declared a Fire Prevention Month.

Last Saturday, three persons were killed in a fire that broke out in Barangay Pardo, Cebu City. A day before that, a huge fire also displaced more than 400 families in Barangay Suba, Cebu City. On Sunday, two fires also hit the different areas in Cebu City.