BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – Two siblings trapped in a burning house in Bangga Patlad, Barangay Sulangan, Dumangas town died.
Renalie Hortinela was 15 years old while Eden Mae Guillaran was 20. They failed to get out of their house that fire gutted around 2:31 a.m. on Sept. 12.
According to their brother, Emmanuel Guillaran, 22, he saw a huge fire in his sisters’ room; the searing heat and thick smoke prevented him from rescuing them.
The house, owned by couple Rojo and Analie Hortinela who both survived, was totally damaged, while the adjacent house of Raween Hortinela was partially damaged.
“Nabatyagan ko mga 2:20 sang kaagahon may aso te ginpukaw ko ang asawa ko siling ko may sunog kay pwerte ang aso. Gin-abrihan ko ang pwertahan namon. Kadto ko sa salas grabe na ang aso kag ang kalayo didto dampi sa kwarto sang duha ka bata. Indi ko na masulod kay ma-suffocate na ako. Ginwasak namon ang bintana kag naka-gwa kami,” Rojo Hortinela said in an interview.
Fire Senior Inspector Roberto Tamayo Jr., investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Dumangas, said the two sisters likely suffocated.
“Ginkuha ko pa ang tatlo namon ka fire distinguishers, gin-attempt ko magsulod sa salas nga ara sa atubangan sang kwarto nila pero indi gid masarangan ang aso. May isa pa gid ako ka option, naglibut ko sa babaw kay may manhole na da lapos sa room nila, galing pag bukas ko sang pertahan sang manhole grabe na ang kalayo. Kadasig sang kalayo, wala na gid ako may mahimo,” Mr. Hortinela added.
BFP-Dumangas suspected the fire to be electrical in nature.
According to Tamayo, they are convinced that the fire started in the room of the sisters.
The estimated property damage reached P3.9 million./PN
