Fire kills baby girl

AN EIGHT-MONTH-OLD baby girl was killed in a fire that gutted down a house in an east coast village in Zamboanga City, a police official said Thursday.

Police Station 6 commander Chief Inspector Elmer Acuña said the incident took place shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Drive, Guiwan village, east of the city.

Acuña identified the fatality as Blanca Paragoso, who was asleep and alone at the house when the fire broke out.

Before the incident, Acuña said the victim’s mother, Rosalyn, was preparing for the family’s supper.

The elder Paragoso left the house purposely to look for her two other children who were not at home that time, leaving the victim who was sleeping in a hammock, Acuña said.

While she was away, a fire broke out and engulfed the house of the Paragosos, he said.

The elder Paragoso, upon her return, tried to save her child but failed since the house was already engulfed in fire, the police said.

Margie Balawit, a neighbor of the Paragoso, told the police that they don’t know the baby girl was inside the house and sleeping. (Bong Garcia/Sunnex)