10-yr-old ‘special child’ dies in Cebu fire

CEBU CITY — A 10-year-old boy was killed in a fire that gutted his family’s home and 39 other houses in Sitio Cabancalan I, Barangay Bulacao, Cebu City, past 5 a.m. on Thursday.

The charred body of Frederick Sumagang, a special child, was found outside their two-story residence where the fire reportedly started.

The cause of fire had yet to be determined, said Senior Fire Officer 2 Lowel Opolentisima of the Cebu City Fire Department.

Based on initial investigation, the fire started on the second floor of Sumagang’s house. The Cebu City Fire Department received the alarm at 5:55 a.m. and the fire was declared under control after 20 minutes.

Frederick’s mother Joanry said they were sleeping in the living room when she noticed fire from the second floor of their house.

She said she immediately gathered her children and they ran outside.

Joanry said she later noticed that Frederick, fifth of her six children, was missing.

“I would have wanted to go back to our house, thinking that Dodong was there. However, I was prevented by my other children because the fire was already so big,” the 41-year-old mother said. The boy’s body was brought to the St. Francis Funeral Home. CBB/rga