101 families left homeless in Mambaling fire

Local

FIFTY-TWO homes were reduced to ashes, leaving 101 families in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City in need of financial assistance, food, and housing materials after a fire tore through Sitio Lawis on Friday, September 18.

The Cebu City Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) counted 375 individuals from the affected families in its initial assessment.

Four houses were partially damaged while one was classified as slightly affected, the report said.

The assessment also found that the affected households include 41 sharers, four renters and four lodgers, giving authorities a basis for determining the assistance needed by residents displaced by the fire.

DSWS recommended that the affected internally displaced persons be considered for financial assistance from the city's disaster account.

It also recommended the distribution of relief goods, including rice, assorted goods, and housing materials for the affected families and individuals.

The city government has provided meals to the fire victims, who were brought to the Viking Gym for temporary shelter.

DSWS has also begun registering the victims, with verification and validation scheduled during the first and second days after the incident.

Among those affected were 148 children aged 17 and below, 19 senior citizens, and one pregnant woman, according to the social welfare assessment.

The fire was reported at about 3:26 p.m. Friday and was declared out at 5:30 p.m., according to the Cebu City Fire Station.

The Bureau of Fire Protection recorded 33 structures burned across an estimated 800-square-meter area. Authorities said the fire involved houses made of light materials.

Two people were injured, while no fatalities were reported. Initial property damage was estimated at ₱1.2 million.

As of Saturday, Sept. 19, fire investigators had yet to determine the cause of the blaze.(TGP)