3 kids, woman killed in Caloocan fire

MANILA, Philippines—Four people, including three children, were killed in a fire that gutted their house in Caloocan City Sunday evening, a city fire officer said Monday.

Hit by the fire was a single storey shanty on Purok 7, Sta. Teresa, Barangay (village) 186, Tala Caloocan City around 11:20 p.m., Fire investigator Randy Resurreccion said.

He said Eufemia Cuadra, 56, and her grandchildren—Shenalyn, 3, Rebecca, 2, and Alexandra Samosa—“were burned beyond recognition” near each other, and appeared to be asleep when the fire struck.

Initial investigation disclosed that the children’s mother, Jocelyn Cuadra, left her children to their grandmother to watch television at another house.

Jocelyn was quoted as saying that she put out the candle placed on a side table, but Resurreccion said that investigations showed otherwise as “burn patterns” have been noted by probers.

“Neighbors claimed that they did not notice the fire’s development until it was already well underway, and no sound or scream for help was heard,” the investigator said in his report.

The fire wasn’t placed under any alarm as the blaze was already put out by residents before fire fighters were informed about the incident.

The case was placed for further investigation.