ORMOC CITY— A 71-year-old man was found dead inside his home after a fire, believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring, broke out on the second floor of his house in Brgy. 5, Catbalogan City on the morning of Tuesday, January 20.
The victim, identified as alias “Mario”, was bedridden at the time of the fire. His 67-year-old common-law wife, alias “Melisa”, a vendor, survived after being on the ground floor with customers at their sari-sari store when the blaze began.
According to Catbalogan police, the local Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) arrived promptly and declared the fire out around 8:47 a.m., estimating damages at around P100,000. Upon entering the scene, authorities discovered the lifeless body of alias Mario.
Investigators said that the fire appeared to have started from electrical wiring on the second floor. The wife of the victim told authorities that a passerby alerted them to the fire, but by the time they tried to rescue her bedridden partner, the flames had grown too intense, forcing them to remain in a safe area while waiting for BFP assistance.
Police coordinated with the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) for documentation and further investigation into the incident.
(ROBERT DEJON)
