2 dead in Valenzuela fire

MANILA, Philippines — A man and his nine-year-old nephew died in a fire that destroyed their home in Valenzuela City on Thursday night.

Firefighters found the charred remains of Nicko Marahay, 25, and Jairus Alvarez on the third floor of the burned house along Little Tagaytay street in Barangay Marulas, Fire Officer 2 John Patnon of the city’s Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) office reported.

Alvarez’s father, Reynaldo, sustained first-degree burns on his legs when he tried to rescue his son, according to Patnon, who noted the fire could have been caused by a short circuit.

The blaze started at the second-floor ceiling of the three-story house and the first alarm was raised at around 7:07 p.m., the BFP’s National Capital Region office said. The fire was put out at around 7:41p.m.

Five families were left homeless by the fire, which destroyed two houses and an estimated P90,000 worth of property.