3 kids die, trapped in fire

By Kit Bagaipo
The Bohol Chronicle

Three children had to endure their violent deaths on Monday after they were trapped inside the house as it was partly razed down by fire in barangay Progreso, Alicia town.

Charlie Maite, 6 years old; Chris John, 4 years old; and 4-month-old Christopher Ayunan were left by their parents locked-up in their house on Monday afternoon.

Trying to make ends meet, the mother, Zenith Ayunan, 28, had to attend a food handling seminar while his husband Alberto Ayunan, 32, a food trader at the Alicia Public Market. The husband used to work abroad as a seaman.

Fire officials believed the house may have been set ablaze by a safety match played around by the kids or an overloaded electrical system.

The parents could not accept the tragedy upon learning that their three children were already dead.

Neighbors told firemen that they heard shouts from the children who tried to reach out for the door lock which was on the topmost portion of the doorframe.

The neighbors also tried to rescue the children but the fire swiftly engulfed the house.

The fire alarm was received by the Ubay Fire Station at around 2 p.m. but the blaze was already uncontrollable and some parts of the house had already collapsed with the children inside.

According to the Alicia PNP, the house was built mostly on concrete and hard wood making it hard for neighbors to rescue the Ayunan children.

Initial investigation of fire officials estimated property damage at P200,000.