2-year-old girl dies in Makati City fire

[wpgmappity id=”1075″]

MANILA, Philippines — A two-year-old girl was killed in an early Sunday fire that razed at least 30 houses in a creek-side residential compound in Makati City.

Makati City fire marshal Ricardo Perdigon said the fire took place at the corner of Zobel Roxas and Arellano Streets in Barangay (village) Palanan during the wee hours of the night when almost everyone was in their sleep.

The fire was reported to the Makati’s Bureau of Fire Protection office at 2:10 a.m. when “the flames were already huge.”

“So when the fire broke out, some residents had merely managed to escape the fire while failing to save their valuables,” Perdigon said.

The fatality identified as Lilsay Florentino Boyco, 2, was found charred beyond recognition as she was pinned by the debris left by the fire.

The body was recovered at what was supposed to be their house’s doorstep. Perdigon said the girl could be running away from the fire but may have been hit by the collapsed roof.

“The father and the grandfather of the girl escaped the fire confident that they had already brought her to safety,” Perdigon said.

He said the father only realized the girl was left at the burning house when he could no longer find her.

In the next few minutes, the fire immediately spread to the next houses prompting the fire officials to declare a fifth alarm.

Around 50 fire trucks were deployed to help extinguish the fire, which was declared out by 2:45 a.m

Fire officials placed the estimated damage to property caused by the fire at P2 million.

Arson investigators are suspecting that the fire was sparked by an exhaust fan that had overheated. “There were illegal power connections in the area. We are not yet sure if we will factor that in,” he said.