Two teenage girls and a one-year-old child perished after being trapped in a house fire in Bulakan, Bulacan on Friday, May 30.
At A Glance
- In an interview with Manila Bulletin, authorities said they received reports from witnesses who allegedly saw an extension cord connected to an electric fan catch fire, which may have caused the blaze.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the fatalities as sisters Yara, 16, and Yani, 14, and their cousin Jayden, 1 — all residents of Purok 2, Barangay Bambang, Bulakan.
According to the BFP, the fire broke out at around 1 p.m. and was declared extinguished by 1:30 p.m.
Initial investigation revealed that the fire started at a house located beside the home of Angelika Dela Cruz Silva, mother of the one-year-old victim. At the time of the incident, the victims' parents were reportedly at work.
Silva had left her son Jayden in the care of her nieces, Yara and Yani, who also died in the fire.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin, authorities said they received reports from witnesses who allegedly saw an extension cord connected to an electric fan catch fire, which may have caused the blaze.
They also mentioned an unconfirmed report that two younger siblings of Yara and Yani managed to escape.
They reportedly tried knocking on the room where the victims were trapped, but received no response before the fire rapidly spread.
Arson investigators are currently conducting an investigation in the area to determine the cause of the fire and amount of damage to property.