A relative checks what remains of the ancestral house of the Pastranas which was burned to the ground at dawn Wednesday in Banawa, Cebu City. The fire was apparently caused by faulty electrical wiring. (Photo by CHERYL T. BALDICANTOS)

CEBU CITY – A lawyer, his wife, and a household helper were charred beyond recognition after they were trapped inside their burning house at Calderon Compound, Sitio Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, this city, Thursday.

The charred bodies of lawyer Manuel Pastrana, 70, his wife Norma, and helper Joy, who hailed from Negros Oriental, were discovered by fire investigators when the blaze was put off past 1 a.m Thursday.

The burned bodies of the Pastranas were found inside their room while that of Joy’s was found in the living room, apparently trying to save herself from the burning house.

Cebu City Fire Marshal Ismael Codilla said the couple could have gone out of their living room but made a dash back to their room after seeing the blaze eating up the area.

He said he was also told that the couple had difficulty walking fast because of their age and no one, except their household helper, was around to save them from their burning bungalow.

Codilla said fire investigators were still determining the real cause of the fire, which destroyed P900,000 worth of properties, although he said it could have been faulty electrical wiring that triggered the blaze.

Last month, four persons, who were bound for the US to migrate, were also burnt beyond recognition.