INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LUCENA CITY – Six people, who were believed to be members of the same family, perished in a fire early Saturday (November 25) after they were trapped inside their burning house in Candelaria town in Quezon province.
In a report, Quezon police identified the fatalities as Delia Cruzat, 69; Darline Joy Quirrez, 21; Priscess Joy Quirrez, 16; Kylie Joy Quirrez, 9; Tristan Jino Pola, 10; and Crissa Joy Quirrez, 18.
Two others identified as Edna Cruzat, 37; and Vangie Quirrez, 48, were injured during the blaze. They were taken to Peter Paul Hospital Candelaria for treatment.
The report did not provide details on the family relationship between the victims.
The fire broke out at about 1 a.m. inside the house of the victims in a residential area in Barangay (village) Masalukot 2 and was put off around 2:30 a.m. The blaze did not spread to other houses in the area.
The police said the fire was discovered by a neighbor of the victims who “saw the fatalities trapped inside the house, shouting and seeking for help.”
In a phone interview, Fire Officer 2 Melchor Macuja, Candelaria fire station arson investigator, described the house as two-story concrete with wooden floors and walls.
The fire station and the victim’s house had only a half-kilometer distance, according to Macuja.
“We did not receive any phone calls or text messages that there was an ongoing fire. A passing tricycle driver was the one who notified us. Since it was still dark, there was only dark smoke on the horizon,” he explained.
The property damage has yet to be determined by the authorities, the police said. Investigation was ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.