Father dies saving daughters from house fire in Trujillo

A father's heroic act turned tragic in Trujillo, Peru, as Percy Zumarán Narváez, 39, died after saving his two young daughters from a devastating house fire. The blaze erupted on the night of June 17 in the Liberación Social sector of Víctor Larco Herrera district. An earlier explosion that took out a public lighting post had caused a power outage, leading the family to light a candle.

In a moment of panic, the candle ignited a synthetic leather furniture piece, rapidly spreading flames throughout the home. Zumarán's daughters, aged 9 and 10, were trapped inside. According to reports, Zumarán immediately entered the smoke-filled house to rescue them. With the help of his brother-in-law, he managed to get the girls out through the roof, saving their lives.

However, Zumarán himself became trapped as the fire consumed the house. Neighbors intervened, breaking through the flames to pull him out. Despite being rushed to Hospital Belén, he succumbed to his severe burns on June 18. Zumarán, who worked as a bus driver, leaves behind his orphaned daughters, who remain hospitalized and are recovering from the incident. The tragedy has deeply affected the Trujillo community, prompting students from the Pedro Mercedes Ureña school to launch an urgent public collection to support the girls.