Fire leaves family of 6 dead

MANILA, Philippines — Six members of a family, including three minors, died in a fire that broke out in a house in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City yesterday.

Probers identified the fatalities as Estelito Buenaflor, Allan Domingo, Domingo’s live-in partner Janelle Anne Merfria, and their three children ages two, seven and 12.

The Bureau of Fire Protection said the fire started at the ground floor of their house in Villa Purina Subdivision at around 1:54 a.m. and reached first alarm before it was put out at around 3:20 a.m.

Arson investigators found the victims’ remains in different areas of their house: two on the ground floor, two on the stairs and two on the second floor.

It appeared that the victims had tried to escape but were trapped as the windows were reinforced with steel grills.

Probers have yet to determine the cause of the blaze and the estimated cost of damage to property.