In southwest Houston, an apartment fire in the early hours of Sunday morning claimed the lives of three individuals and left one person injured, as reported by the Houston Fire Department.
During an interview with ABC13, the mother of three girls revealed that the tragic victims were aged 8, 11, and 15, respectively. Furthermore, the family shared the first names of each victim, which were Anita, Yulisa, and Evelen.
ABC13 was told by Meybis Evelen Zelaya, the mother of the family, that the fire broke out about an hour and a half after she had left for work at 4 a.m. according to investigators.
According to officials, the firefighters arrived at the scene in just four minutes, but unfortunately, it was already too late.
Oscar, along with her three young girls, were inside the house at the time.
The lone survivor of the incident was the son.
Zelaya expressed his unwavering refusal to accept the situation, citing the depth of his love for the people involved. “Nobody has any idea how much I loved them,” he stated firmly.
According to a post made by HFD on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, firefighters promptly responded to a fire report at a condominium located on 8110 Albacore near Bissonnet Street at approximately 5:45 a.m.
According to officials, someone passing by noticed the flames and promptly called the police.
According to the firefighters, they swiftly responded to the incident in just four minutes and successfully restricted the fire to only one unit.
During a recent update, Houston’s newly appointed fire chief, Thomas Muñoz, revealed that the investigation into the fire is still in its preliminary stages. He and other officials provided updates on the situation and confirmed that it remains an active investigation.
At this moment, Zelaya finds herself without any answers. She is left with the overwhelming pain of losing not just one, but three of her children.
Zelaya expressed that losing his three daughters was the worst thing that has ever happened in his life.
According to Zelaya, her daughters possessed not only beauty but also intelligence. They shared a love for theater and had a strong bond with each other.
Zelaya expressed the immense difficulty of losing her three angels, stating that she wouldn’t want anyone else to go through such a trying experience.
Zelaya expresses her gratitude to the friends and family who came forward to assist her in collecting whatever remnants remain of the life she once knew.
Starting your day with four children and ending it with only one can be quite a jarring experience. It can leave you feeling disoriented and overwhelmed, as if your world has been turned upside down. The sudden absence of those little voices, giggles, and hugs can make the house feel eerily quiet and empty. It’s a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in life, and how important it is to cherish every moment we have with our loved ones.
According to Zelaya, the experience has been so profound that she feels disconnected from her own reality, almost like an out-of-body experience.
Zelaya expressed that although physically present, a significant part of them had perished alongside the individuals they had lost.
The family is receiving support from a business to gather funds for the funerals of the girls.
If you are interested in contributing, you can deliver your donations to the Diamond Food Store located at 6631 Bissonnet Street.