7 dead in Philippines blaze, including children, 40 homes destroyed

Seven people including two children died in a fire on Saturday evening near the Philippines capital, police said.

The fire destroyed 40 houses in the densely populated Taytay municipality southeast of Manila, police said on Sunday.

Several families, who lived in one house accessible only through a long, narrow alley, were caught in the flames, police said.

The victims included a two-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.

“They weren’t able to escape. They were trapped,” said Taytay’s acting police chief Joel Custodio.

“They were found hugging each other.”