By CESAR JOLITO III

An early morning fire claimed the lives of an elderly couple who were trapped inside their two-storey house in City Heights Subdivision in Bacolod City’s Barangay Taculing yesterday.

The victims were identified as 80-year-old Edison Hibionada, Sr. and his wife, 81-year-old Emelyn.

The blaze broke out shortly past 4:00 a.m. from the garage of the house, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod fire marshal Supt. Jenny Mae Masip said.

It was the first time the couple were left alone by their companion inside their house on Torquoise Street.

The fire was declared out at 4:41 a.m.

BFP said Emelyn’s body was discovered in the dining area after the blaze.

Edison, who was bedridden, was found in his bed and unable to escape the flames.

The couple were sleeping separately.

Masip said Emelyn couldn’t escape from their burning house because the windows were covered with grills.

The estimated damage from the blaze is around P3 million.

As of press time, authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire./CJ, WDJ