3 children dead in Davao Oriental fire

Three children died when fire broke out in a community of informal settlers in Mati, Davao Oriental on Friday night.

The casualties were identified as Amely Pearl Halipa, 10; Alicia Cenise Halipa, 8; and Kirsh Heris, 3, who were all siblings, according to Fire Senior Inspector Christian Cena, fire marshal of Mati, Davao Oriental, in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday morning.

Cena said the three children were trapped in a house when fire broke out around 11:30 p.m. in Barangay Central, Purok, Sto. Niño 2.

He added that the children were left alone staying at a neighbor's house while their grandmother and her two other grandchildren were at another house. The victims' mother was out working as massage therapist, according to the grandmother.

Cena said the grandmother was able to bring her two grandchildren, who were staying with her, out to safety. But when she came back to rescue her three other grandchildren, she could no longer go in due to the thick smoke.

No other casualties were reported.

The fire reached the fifth alarm before it was put under control at 1:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Fire out was declared at 3:20 a.m.

According to a Facebook post of the Provincial Information Office of Davao Oriental, at least 25 houses were destroyed and more or less 50 families or 135 individuals were affected.

The Bureau of Fire Protection is still verifying the cause of fire as of posting time. —KG, GMA News