A 74-year-old man died in a fire that razed his home in Sitio Mekdew, Barangay Pinayag, Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya on Sunday, March 22.
Police said the victim was a Person with Disability (PWD).
His wife, also a senior citizen, survived the fire.
Police received the report about the fire on March 23 due to the remote location of the area.
The victims’ house is approximately one hour and 30 minutes by land from the town proper of Kayapa, followed by an additional one-hour walk.
Initial investigation said that the fire started in the couple’s kitchen, near the victim’s sleeping area, at around 11 p.m.
She was able to accompany her husband out of their burning house. She returned inside to retrieve some belongings but did not notice her husband reentering the house. He was trapped and killed.
No immediate assistance was provided as neighboring houses were located far from their residence.
She had to wait until morning before walking for about 30 minutes to her child’s home to reveal the fire.
The house constructed from light materials was completely destroyed.
Authorities reminded the public to exercise caution when cooking indoors, particularly when using firewood or dry grass (kugon), to prevent similar incidents.