‘Everything is gone’: fire engulfs hundreds of shanty houses in Manila

A large fire engulfed hundreds of shanty houses in a downtown slum area of the Philippine capital Manila on November 24, 2024. Drone footage shared by the city government's disaster management office showed the extent of the fire, which razed houses along the port area. Authorities have not announced any cause of the fire, but past blazes have been related to faulty electrical wiring. The Philippines has a patchy record in enforcing fire safety in buildings, homes and offices. In August, 11 people died after a five-storey apartment building burned down in Manila’s Chinatown.