Firecracker blaze kills 3 in Cebu

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Three persons were charred to death when a fire hit stalls selling firecrackers in barangay Sentro, this city, past 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Mandaue City Fire Department said.

Two of the victims have already been identified as Amad Villacorta, 7, and Minumbaw Maca-undas Bulao, owner of one of the firecracker stalls. The third victim, believed to be a child, has not been identified as of press time yesterday.

Mandaue City Fire Marshall Ranilo Bongabong said the fire started in the middle part of the stretch of stores selling firecrackers just a few hours before Christmas. The said area was designated as zone for firecracker vendors.

Bongabong said the victims were trapped inside one of the more than 30 firecracker stores when the fire, allegedly triggered by a lighted up cigarette, gobbled up the stalls in just two minutes.

A witness said the blaze spread up so fast that firecracker vendors only had few seconds to get out of their stores. The three victims, he said, were not able to get out of their stores in time.

Damage to property was pegged at P100,000 said Bongabong. The area was far from houses and was a few meters away from the Mandaue Sports Complex and the Mandaue City Fire Department. #