DAVAO CITY -- Two persons were killed in a fire that burned down more than 200 houses in two coastal communities here early Saturday morning.
Fire investigator Alfie Zagala identified the fatalities as Ofelina Morales and Jocel Bautista.
The fire reportedly started at the house of Bautista around 3:20 a.m.
Bautista's body was charred beyond recognition with a knife still stuck in his chest. Authorities are looking into the possibility of arson.
Morales, on the other hand, was already out of the scene of the fire when she suffered a heart attack. She was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Zagala said a total of 238 houses were gutted down by the fire in barangays 31-D and 76-D near the coastal area of Piapi, Boulevard.
More than 1,000 families were rendered homeless in the early morning fire, he said.
Arson investigators have placed the total amount of damages caused by the fire at P1.5 million. (Ivy C. Tejano of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
