Fire kills 2-yr-old boy in Pagadian City, razes 9 homes

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A two-year-old boy died after accidentally setting a house on fire while playing with matches in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur on Thursday.

Police said that the boy died after being trapped inside the burning house. The fire also spread to eight more homes.

Pagadian City Police Station reported the lone fatality was identified to be the son of Rolando Lorona, caretaker of the house in Purok Makiangayan, Barangay Balangasan.

Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, Spokesman of Police Regional Office 9 (PRO), said the fire broke out at around 6:20 a.m. It took firefighters at least two hours to put out the fire.

Huesca said fire investigators disclosed that the fire started from the house of Aurelio Pabatao, where Lorona's family is living as caretakers.

He said that based on initial investigations, the boy was seen playing with matches before the fire broke out.

The fire's estimated the damage was pegged at P2.5 million.