Ma, 2 kids burn to death in Pasay blaze
THE horrified mother must have screamed her lungs out. “Heeelp! Help us!” She probably pleaded as the eerie, black smoke and flames crawled towards her and her two sons — aged two and five. Grimly, nobody heard her. It was every mom’s nightmare from Hell: to helplessly watch as your kids died a violent, most painful death.
The 29-year-old housewife and her two children, aged five and two were killed, while three others were injured after a fire gutted their house Tuesday morning in Pasay City.
Pasay City Arson Investigators SFO1 Roy Angelo Salen said Mary Ann Maglaya and her sons were trapped at the second floor of their house located on Mayor B. Street, Malibay, Brgy 177, after the blaze broke out at the ground floor.
Three other occupants of the house identified as Frederick Ignacio, 45, Antonio Padilla, 56, and a five-year-old boy, sustained burned injuries in their forehead, neck, hands, elbow and foot and were treated in nearby hospital.
A report received by Pasay City Fire Marshal Supt. Mariano Taguiam showed that the fire started at the ground floor of the house owned by Peterson Odon Rivas at around 9:50 a.m. and quickly spread at the second floor where the fatalities were staying.
Mary Ann’s husband Gary Rivas was not at home and was working at the public market when the fire broke out.
The fire only reached first alarm before it was finally put out at around 10;16 a.m. destroying an estimated worth of properties at P75,000 and leaving six families homeless. No other houses or establishments were affected by fire.
Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano personally visited the fire scene to express her sincere condolences to the family of the victims who perished in fire.
She also led the distribution of relief goods, folding beds, mats, towels, groceries, and hygiene kits to affected families and promised to provide them financial assistance from the Office of the Mayor and from the Pasay City Social Welfare and Development Department (PSWDD).
“Sa mga panahon ng trahedyang ganito, laging bukas-palad ang ating pamahalaan upang kayo ay tulungan. Ako po ay nakikiramay sa mga namatayan at sa mga naapektuhan ng trahedyang ito, makakaasa po kayo na ako at ang buong pamahalaan ng ating lungsod ay tutulong sa abot ng aming makakaya,” Mayor Emi said.
Meanwhile, the Pasay City Fire Department are still conducting investigation to determine the cause of fire.
