Easter Sunday fire destroys 50 houses in Cebu City

Easter was a time for despair for some 116 families in Cebu City, after a fire destroyed a woodcraft factory and around 50 houses in a residential area there Sunday noon.

 

The fire occurred at Barangay Cogon Pardo, GMA Cebu's Lou-Anne Mae Rondina reported Monday.

 

Elso Ilustrisimo, who returned from church to see his house destroyed, failed to save his belongings - including P20,000 a child sent from Germany to rebuild his house in Bantayan Island.

 

He said his house in Bantayan Island was destroyed when Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck in November 2013.

 

"Wala kaming nasalba, nasunog rin ang itinabi naming pera," he said, adding he could only hope his family gets through this latest problem.

 

"Ito ang pagsubok sa amin ng Panginoon na tinatanggap namin. Baka maka-recover kami pagdating ng panahon," he said.

 

The city fire department received information about the fire at noon.

 

Initial investigation showed the fire started at a factory for woodcraft, and quickly spread to nearby houses.

 

"Ang initial investigation namin is electrical loose connection na posibleng may kinalaman noong manalasa ang Yolanda. Ang sabi, walang personnel sa pabrika dahil holiday," said fire investigator SFO2 Pier Angelo Abellana.

 

Arson investigators estimate some P200,000 in property was destroyed.

 

The Cebu City government said it will hold a reblocking of the affected area, which it said was a private lot.

 

It said a procedure is now ongoing to include the lot in the government's urban poor housing project.

 

"Meron tayong plano na kalsada may blueprint kung anong sukat, saan ang labasan, iprenesent na natin yun sa kanila sana hindi na sila magmatigas," said Barangay Cogon Pardo chairman Harry Eran. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News