AKLAN – A Friday night fire in Barangay Tugas, Makato town claimed the life of a paralyzed elderly woman and left an estimated P150,000 in property damage.
Authorities said the fatality, identified as Purisima Tolores, was unable to move independently. She was trapped inside their burning home and was unable to escape.
Fire Officer 1 Jayson Rivera of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Makato said the fire erupted while Tolores was alone in the house. Her sibling had reportedly gone next door to watch television shortly before the incident.
The family was alerted only when they heard a loud explosion from inside the house, after which they saw flames quickly spreading.
Tolores’ sibling tried to re-enter the burning house in a desperate attempt to save her, but was forced to retreat due to the intense heat and heavy smoke.
The fire was declared under control at around 9:15 p.m., but it was too late to save the victim.
As of this writing, the BFP-Makato was still investigating the cause of the fire./PN
