Two persons were killed while two others were severely burned when a fire ate up a two-story apartment along with 10 houses made of light materials in Sampaloc, Manila, early dawn yesterday.

In Sta. Cruz, a two-month-old baby died when the family residence near the Chinese General Hospital went up in smoke before noon.

SFO2 Emmanuel Gaspar, arson investigator, named the fatalities as Melanie May Bacunga, 18, whose charred body was found among the debris at 776 A.H. Lacson St., and Danilo dela Cruz, 62, who died at the Ospital ng Sampaloc after suffering a heart attack while trying to help quell the flames.

Treated for severe burns at the UST Hospital were the victim?s grandmother Sonia Bacunga, 55, and nine-year-old granddaughter Criselda May Serrano, both apartment residents.

Gaspar said the blaze began around 2 a.m. on the second floor of Bacunga?s unit of the apartment owned by a certain Olivia Serrano.

The victims were sleeping when they smelled smoke and saw the burning ceiling, prompting them to scamper to safety.

The young Bacunga decided to go back, thinking her grandmother was left behind, but was trapped in the burning structure.

Gaspar said the blaze was put out 3:38 a.m., reaching the fifth alarm and posting a damage estimated at over P200,000 and leaving around 40 families homeless.

Sr. Insp. Bonifacio Carta suspected illegal electrical connection as the cause.

Fire Insp. Guillermo Fermalino said infant Shiela Nicole Simplicio was left behind by her parents, and presumed dead.

He said fire broke out 11:50 a.m. yesterday at the two-story residence of Robert and Lucy Simplicio, the baby?s parents.

Fermalino said the two fled the house as the fire fanned out to at least 10 shanties nearby.

The fourth alarm blaze was declared out by 12:32 p.m. with about P200,000 worth of properties destroyed. Jing Villamente