A 76-YEAR-OLD woman and her four young grandchildren were killed in a fire in Bacolod City neighborhood Tuesday morning.
The fatalities were identified as Norma Pido, Rushed Galle, 10, and Shanele Galle, 9; Joemarie Galle, 6; and Katrina Pido, 10.
Norma, who did tailoring jobs at home, was the mother of Bacolod broadcaster Rommel Pido of DYAF-Radyo Veritas. “My family is sad and distraught by the incident,” Pido said.
Chief Inspector Bartolome Beliran, city fire marshal, said they responded to a call around 10 a.m. that the house of Mary Saltore in Purok Bulgan, Barangay 1, was on fire.
When firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread to the neighboring houses including the house of Pido.
Barangay Chairman Rosalina Tinosan said the fire destroyed eight houses and damaged seven others, and left 25 families homeless.
"This is a very sad day for all of us because a lot of my constituents lost their houses and belongings to fire. We also felt bad about the loss of five lives in the said fire incident," she said.
Initial investigation indicated the fire started at the second floor of the Saltore house.
The blaze was put out around 10:40 a.m.
The fatalities were found hugging each other.
The mother of the Galle children, Michelle Pido-Galle, works at the city’s Department of Social Services and Development, while their father is a seaman, who recently left for work in a ship.
The displaced 25 families are staying temporarily at a nearby elementary school.