One Reported Missing, PHP10.5M Worth of Properties Lost in 2 Cebu Fires

A septuagenarian was reported missing while some PHP10.5 million worth of property when separate fires hit a cooking oil storage facility and a densely populated village in Cebu City on Monday, a fire official said.

Senior Fire Officer 3 Angelo Abellana of the Cebu City Fire Department received the fire alarm at a storage facility of Marca Leon Cooking Oil at Pier 4 in Cebu City at 3:47 a.m.

The fire caused at least PHP10 million in damage to property, but no injuries were reported.

It took firefighters close to five hours to put out the fire because the facility contained different types of cooking products and cooking oils produced by Marca Leon, which couldn’t be easily extinguished using water.

Abellana said firefighters used chemicals to put out the fire. Fire out was declared at 8:30 a.m.

Fire probers were still investigating the cause of the fire.

The second fire hit a densely-packed community in Barangay Apas, Cebu City at 2:26 p.m. Monday, razing down 60 houses made of light materials and causing some PHP500,000 in damage to property.

Cebu City Fire Marshall Rogelio Bongabong said they are also checking on reports of a senior citizen, identified only as “Aniano,” and in his seventies, who is went missing during the fire.

Bongabong said that based on their initial investigation, the fire started at the house Gemma Balatong who just finished cooking viands for selling at the nearby Cebu IT Park.

He said they are still conducting headcount of the displaced families and individuals which included a group of blind persons.

Barangay Apas Councilor Allan Majait said the group of blind persons came from the Cebu City Home for the Blind in Barangay Banilad and transferred to Barangay Apas. (PNA)LAP/EB/EDS