A 25-year-old man died after being trapped in a fire that burned down their talyer (vehicle repair shop) in Barangay Balabago, Jaro, Iloilo City, early Monday morning, Feb. 16.
The victim, identified as Rostom Ancita, was fast asleep when the fire broke out at 2:30 a.m based on the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) initial investigation.
Senior Fire Officer 2 Denmark Macoco, BFP-Iloilo City chief investigator, said Ancita may have died from suffocation or asphyxiation, a conditions that occurs when the body is deprived of oxygen.
The victim’s body was found a few meters away from his bed which, according to Macoco, indicates that he tried to escape.
In a radio interview, Ancita’s elder sister, Rhea, said his brother, a criminology graduate, appeared drunk when he arrived at their shop Sunday evening, Feb. 15.
The shop was made mostly of bamboo, allowing the fire of still undetermined origin to spread quickly.
The cost of damage due to the fire was pegged at P65,000.
Further investigation on the incident is ongoing.IMT
