A 9-year-old boy died while his elder brother and aunt were injured in a fire that razed their house in barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City.
Fire investigators are looking into the possibility that a lighted mosquito coil set off the blaze.
Authorities identified the fatality as Chilmer Mangubat, whose burnt body was found in a room at the second floor of the house.
His 12-year-old brother Mark suffered first degree burns in both hands. His aunt Cherryl Abing sustained first degree burns in the right hand and right shoulder. They were rushed to a hospital for treatment.
F02 Climaco Salisid of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Department said they received the fire alarm at 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Mangubat couple were sleeping on the ground floor of their semi-concrete house. Their four children- Chilmer, Anthony, 10; Mark, and Lordeymae 15, were sleeping in one room on the second floor.
Abing and her 10-year old daughter Ruchie slept at the terrace near a small room next to the room occupied by the Mangubat siblings.
The house’s electric service was cut off three months ago due to unpaid bills. The residents were reportedly using candles but they claimed they put the candles off before they retired for the night.
Abing told fire investigators she and her daughter lit up two mosquito coils.
Salisid said it was possible that the lighted mosquito coils were accidentally hit and rolled to the small room where the fire reportedly started.
Abing told investigators that when she woke up, the fire had already engulfed the room where the four children were sleeping.
She ran to the room, woke the children up as she tried to put out the fire.
Abing said the three children were able to run out of the room but Chilmer was left behind.
It’s possible the boy was overcome by the smoke and fell unconscious, said fire probers.
The boy was laid to rest yesterday at the city’s public cemetery. The family is temporarily living in a neighbor’s shanty near their razed house in Dimataga Street.
Damage was pegged at P80,000.