Four-month-old baby dies in Pasay fire

MANILA, Philippines — A four-month-old baby died in a fire that razed 10 houses in Maricaban, Pasay City Wednesday afternoon.

The body of Alexa Cabil was found charred in the house where the blaze was said to have started.

This is the third fire in the Maricaban area in two weeks. The first fire left nine members of a family dead.

The latest fire, which affected houses along Saint Francis street in Barangay 178, started at around 5:27 p.m. and reached second alarm before it was put out at around 9:12 p.m., according to a report from Superintendent Paul Pili of Pasay City’s Bureau of Fire Protection.

A lit candle that was left unattended in the house of Cabil’s parents, Jordan Madrid and Roxanne Cabil, could have caused the fire, the report stated.

 Madrid, who sustained bruises on his body, tried to save his baby after learning from her elder brother that she was trapped in their house, he told reporters.

 He said he was about to buy food for dinner and entrusted the baby to his son. The mother was away for training to become a call center agent.

 The fire left 29 families homeless and destroyed P200,000 worth of property, officials said.