Blaze rips through Manila slum area, leaving families homeless amid coronavirus pandemic
- The fire raged in the slum district of Tondo in Manila City damaged about 200 houses, affecting 500 families
- Officials are looking for temporary shelter for the victims, as evacuation centres have been occupied by relief operations for the Covid-19 outbreak
The fire raged for more than two hours in the slum district of Tondo in Manila City, damaging around 200 houses, affecting 500 families, the Bureau of Fire Protection said.
Residents fled with their belongings to a nearby road as firefighters put out the fire. The Philippine air force also sent helicopters to dump water onto the area to help put out the blaze.
Initial investigation showed that the fire started on the second floor of one of the shanty homes, but the cause of the fire was still being investigated, police said.
City disaster risk management officials said they were looking for temporary shelter for the fire victims, noting that the usual evacuation centres were occupied by relief operations for those affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
