By Lynde Salgados
Correspondent
A 17-year-old male teener (not female as reported earlier) was confirmed dead in the Wednesday morning conflagration that devoured seven residential houses along Gemini St., Purok 3B in Barangay Gusa, Cagayan de Oro City.
The ill-fated victim, identified as Brant Clint Jokotin, was reportedly trapped as he failed to wake up while being soundly asleep at the upper part of their two-story house.
“Looy kaayo ang bata. Dikit-dikit pud ang mga panimalay maong paspas kaayo ang pagkuyanap sa kalayo,” said DxCC radyo reporter Jonathan Nasaire Bullo.
Gusa village Chair Marlon Tabac initially placed the damage to properties to over a million pesos.
Firefighters encountered some difficulty to contain the blazing inferno, owing to the narrow passageway in the area.
Hardly hit were the houses of the Wagas, Oguiton, Jokotin, and Oclarit families.
After learning the incident, Police Officer Ervin Wagas, who is detailed at a checkpoint in Barangay Bugo, had frantically rushed to his place only to be greeted by multiple explosions.
“Ubay-ubay ‘to nga bala ang nangbuto nga personal issue nako para sa long firearms. Hurot wala gyod koy naabtan ug nahipos,” the helpless Wagas told reporters.
Fire probers are still determining the main cause of the past 9 am the fire that reportedly originated in the dirty kitchen.
