By NIÑO N. LUCES
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — Two college students sleeping inside a boarding house were killed and 11 others injured when a pre‑dawn fire ripped through the building early Tuesday, July 28.
The fatalities, identified only by their aliases “Jer” of Sorsogon and “Will” of Masbate, were students at a local college. They were trapped in their sleep as flames engulfed the structure.
Among the injured were students from Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Catanduanes, most of whom were also enrolled in schools in Legazpi City.
Initial investigation showed the blaze began at about 2:26 a.m. in an annex law office, spread to parked vehicles, and then consumed the nearby boarding house where the victims were sleeping.
Firefighters later recovered the bodies of the two victims from inside the charred building. They were rushed to Legazpi City Hospital but declared dead on arrival.
Authorities are conducting follow‑up investigation to determine the cause of the fire and assess property damage.
