A 46-year-old man was killed after he was trapped in a burning apartment in barangay Looc, Mandaue City.
Investigators said the victim, Anthony Farre, was mentally unstable.
It was possible that Farre was sleeping on the second floor of the apartment in Felecitas Village when the fire broke out past 7 p.m. Monday.
SFO1 Cipriano Codilla, fire investigator, said an unattended lighted candle may have caused the fire.
The victim and his siblings renting the apartment have been using candles the past few days after their electricity connection was cut off due to unsettled bills.
The first floor of the building is occupied by apartment owner Binky Sevilla and her family.
The victim’s brother James said he was not at home when the apartment caught fire.
James said Sevilla called her and informed her about the incident.
James added that the second floor of the house was already on fire when he arrived.
The fire was contained at 7:15 p.m.
Codilla said the firewall prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring houses.
Sevilla said that some neighbors tried to save Anthony but they couldn’t find him. They rushed outside the apartment when the flames started to spread.
Fire damage was pegged at P50,000.
A separate fire last Monday night damaged a one-story building on Gen. Maxilom Avenue in Cebu City.
The building housed a furniture company. Damage was estimated at P10,000. /WITH A REPORT FROM CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON