60 houses destroyed by fire in Cebu City

Houses on fire. (CDN FILE PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

CEBU CITY — At least 60 houses  made of light materials were damaged by a fire that hit a densely-packed community in Barangay Apas, Cebu City on Monday afternoon.

Cebu City Fire Marshall Rogelio Bongabong said firemen were  checking reports of a missing senior citizen at 3:55 p.m.

“We only know him as 70-year-old Añano. He is from Guadalupe. According to the information we got, he also lost his home in Guadalupe to the fire,” said Bongabong.

Bongabong said that based on their initial investigation, the fire started from the house of Gemma Balatong, who had just finished cooking food that she would sell  at the nearby Cebu IT Park.

He said they were still conducting a headcount of  displaced families and individuals, who included a group of blind persons.

“They were from the Cebu City Home for the Blind in Barangay Banilad and transferred here,” said Councilor Allan Majait.

Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman, who went to the site, said they had been negotiating with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Central Visayas to allow the fire victims to use some of its space as temporary shelter.

The Cebu City Fire Department received the alarm around 2:26 p.m..  It was later raised to 2nd alarm, which meant all nearby fire stations were needed to help in putting out the fire.

Estimated cost of damage was placed at P500,000. SFM/rga