CEBU CITY — Two children were killed and their father was injured in a fire that struck Purok 1, Barangay Manga, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, on Wednesday.

The blaze, which started at around 8:10 p.m., quickly engulfed the family's small home which was made of light materials.

Three-year-old Jessabel Lasco and her one-year-old brother Edgardo Jr. were asleep when the fire broke out and did not come out alive.

Their father, 55-year-old Edgardo Lasco Sr., sustained severe burns after a desperate attempt to rescue his children.

Rescuers rushed him to the Celestino Gallares Medical Center for treatment.

The children's mother, who was working in Cebu City, was returning home on Thursday when she was notified of the tragic event.

LtCol. John Kareen Escober, chief of the Tagbilaran City Police Station, reported that the fire spread rapidly due to the light materials of the house.

Firefighters controlled the blaze within eight minutes and fully extinguished it after 12 minutes, but not before it spread to three neighboring houses.

The estimated damage to the property is around P25,000.

Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap has pledged financial assistance for the victims' funerals and the medical treatment of Edgardo Sr.

The family's home also served as a display area for their bamboo furniture business, and it contained car batteries, lamps, paint thinner, and other paint materials, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

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