Family of 4 dies in Marikina City fire

MANILA, Philippines – A policeman, his wife, and two children died Wednesday, January 9, when they were trapped inside their burning house in Marikina City.

Police Officer 3 Romar Sumait of the Philippine National Police -Crame Crime Laboratory, his wife Rose, 27; and children Kaizer Lee, 6; and 3-year-old Kenzie Fae, all perished in a fire which gutted their home in Barangay Sto. Niño, Marikina.

Superintendent Randolph Bides, chief of the Marikina Bureau of Fire and Protection, said the fire started at the Signature Burger store which was near the house of the Sumaits along Col. Divino St. 

Bides said blaze started at 2:47 a.m.

Only a wall separated the Sumait residence and the burger store, said Bides. He added that a wooden door connected both houses and this was where the fire passed through.  

Barangay watchmen told Bides that the Sumaits were awake and even called for help because they were trapped inside their house. But it was all in vain.  

Fire investigators found out that the house of the Sumaits was ringed with metal grills.  Even their airconditioning unit was shut close and there was no fire exit.  

It was the barangay watchmen who called the Marikina BFP to try and rescue the family.

The Marikina BFP said 3 other houses burned down during the dawn blaze, which was declared fire out at 3:39 am.  

“Nasa second floor silang lahat. ‘Yung dalawang nakita namin, magkatabi nakahiga sa sahig malapit sa pinto. ‘Yung dalawa pa, sa loob ng kuwarto, niyayakap ng magulang, parang prinoprotektahan ang anak niya,” he said. 

(The family members were all in the second floor. We saw a parent and child on the floor by the bed close to the door. The other two were in another room, with the parent embracing the child, as if to protect the kid.)

According to BFP Marikina, they could not identify the family members because the bodies were charred beyond recognition. – Rappler.com