The relatives of ten individuals who lost their lives in a terrible fire tragedy in Muntinlupa City this Sunday morning are mourning.
It can be recalled that a fire broke out in a residential area in Barangay Putatan around 9 a.m.
In Mark Salazar’s report on GMA News “24 Oras Weekend,” the loud crying and screaming of a member of the Ladia family can be heard.
At noon, the remains of ten victims were taken out one by one, including a baby who was still wrapped in a blanket when taken to the funeral home.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the casualties as:
- Claire Ladia, 65 years old
- Virgilio Ladia, 68 years old
- Mark Gil Ladia, 39 years old
- Cherry Ladia, 19 years old
- Jerome Ladia, 19 years old
- Leandro Jose Ladia, 15 years old
- Emmanuel Ladia, 12 years old
- Cherise Angela Ladia, five months old
- Ana Ladia, 33 years old
- Amatheus Ladia, 16 years old
10 family members dead in Muntinlupa fire
Only one survivor of the tragedy was identified as Virginia Caoili, 86, the family’s great-grandmother.
According to the BFP-National Capital Region public information office, the fire reached the first alarm in Larva Street, Bruger Subdivision at 9:02 a.m.
The fire was declared under control around 9:25 a.m. and fire out around 10:25 a.m.
“Ang ikinamatay talaga nila ay asphyxia by suffocation. Nag-attempt sila, makikita natin ang isang pamilya sa second floor may mga sugat-sugat pa siya sa katawan,” said City Fire Marshall Fire Superintendent Eugene Briones.
“Ibig sabihin nag-attempt silang makalabas nataon na naka-grills ang mga bintana nila kaya hindi sila makalabas at hindi rin makababa sa ground floor kasi ‘yung origin of fire natin sa ground floor napalakas,” added Briones.
Briones said the family came from Simbang Gabi and was preparing breakfast when the fire started.
“Ayon sa ating mga imbestigador parang nagluluto kasi may mga ginayat na carrots, repolyo, parang nagluluto sila,” he said. “Ang cause of fire ay patuloy pa natin iniimbestigahan.”
The house has two fire exits, but it is said that the family was unable to use both to escape.
According to the report, only the house’s main door was open, but the victims were also trapped by thick smoke.
If the CCTV recording on the hard drive can be salvaged, it could fill in other details in the fire investigation.
The report added that the deceased would also be subjected to an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
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