Fire forces 15,000 from Manila slum
MANILA // As many as 15,000 people were left homeless after a fire engulfed a slum in Manila, destroying thousands of homes and sending residents fleeing.
The inferno started in Parola compound on Tuesday night and raged for about 10 hours.
Hundreds of firefighters from across the Philippine capital hauled their hoses across rickety tin roofs to reach the flames. About 3,200 homes, many made from little more than scrap wood, were destroyed and four people were injured.
Fire investigator Edilberto Cruz said the houses in that place were made of light materials.
“That is why the fire was quick to spread,” he said. “We are just lucky that no one was killed.”
He said seven people suffered minor injuries but no fatalities were reported.
Manila city government officials said between 9,000 and 15,000 people from the area were left homeless.
Temporary centres have been set up at nearby gyms and schools, with food and water provided, said welfare officer Regina Jane Mata.
The Manila fire department said such fires were common in the city’s densely populated slums where many residents use candles to light their homes.
Nearly a quarter of Manila’s 13 million residents live in slums because of poverty and a shortage of low-cost housing.