World

Huge fire rips through sprawling slum area in Philippine capital

A big fire ripped through a closely built slum area of the Philippine capital Manila on November 24, AFP reported.

A blaze torches around 1,000 houses at the Isla Puting Bato district, one of Manila's sprawling squatter settlements. (Photo: Manila DRRM Office)
A blaze torches around 1,000 houses at the Isla Puting Bato district, one of Manila's sprawling squatter settlements. (Photo: Manila DRRM Office)

Hanoi (VNA) – A big fire ripped through a closely built slum area of the Philippine capital Manila on November 24, AFP reported.

The Manila Fire District Office said around 1,000 houses were burnt in the blaze, thought to have started on the second floor of one of the houses. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Drone footage shared online by the city’s disaster agency shows houses at the Isla Puting Bato district of Manila razed to the ground. The structures housed around 2,000 families, according to the fire department.

That area is fire-prone since most of the houses are made of light materials.

Fire and disaster services deployed 36 trucks and four fire boats while the country’s air force sent in two helicopters to help extinguish the fire./.

VNA
#big fire #slum area #Manila #Isla Puting Bato district Philippines
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

The Philippines' labour laws define child labour as any work that is hazardous or harmful to a child's health, safety, or development. (Photo: UN)

Philippines sees progress in child labour reduction

The number of working children aged 5-17 was estimated at 1.09 million in 2023, down from 1.48 million in 2022, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on November 21.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

Philippines’ rice imports surpass 2023 level

The Philippines’ rice imports so far this year have surpassed last year's level and can hit 4.2 million metric tonnes (MT) by the end of 2024, Department of Agriculture (DA) technical advisory group member and former undersecretary for rice industry development Leocadio Sebastian said.

See more

The scene of a crane collapse in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand, on January 15, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Another crane collapses in Thailand

The latest incident took place in Samut Sakhon province near the capital Bangkok, where a crane involved in the construction of an elevated highway fell onto the road beneath.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Cambodian PM declares crackdown on cyber scams

The Cambodian PM noted the strict measures against online scams in the past are a testament to the government's political commitment to combating this transnational crime, which is a common concern for Cambodia, the region, and the world.

Foreign tourists in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

International arrivals to Thailand surge in early 2026

Thailand welcomed 1,121,549 international visitors in the first 11 days of 2026, generating an estimated 55.03 billion THB (approximately 1.59 billion USD) in tourism revenue, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on January 13.

Tourists visit the Plain of Jars in Xiengkhouang, Laos.(Photo: VNA)

Laos named among world’s top travel destinations for 2026: TravelPulse

Known for being one of Southeast Asia’s best kept secrets, experts said 2026 will be the year for Laos to start attracting discerning travelers. Traversed by the Mekong River, Laos features mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture and an abundance of Buddhist monasteries.

A commemorative publication titled “50 Years of Germany – Vietnam Relations: Partners in the Past, Present and Future”, published in 2025, offers a timely and comprehensive reflection not only on the 50th anniversary but also on the two countries' strategic path ahead. (Illustrative photo: the Vietnamese – German University)

German economic cooperation ministry praises Vietnam’s development

Commenting on the German Government’s prominent reference to Vietnam’s achievements in a key policy document shaping the future direction of its development policy, Dr Kambiz Ghawami, President of Germany’s World University Service (WUS), described this as highly significant.

Indonesia’s meat industry faces widespread job loss risks (Photo:en.infosawit.com)

Indonesia’s meat industry faces risk of mass layoffs

The Indonesian Meat Entrepreneurs and Processors Association (APPDI) said the total beef import quota for private companies this year has been cut to 30,000 tonnes, down sharply from 180,000 tonnes in 2025. The figure accounts for only a small fraction of Indonesia’s overall import plan of 297,000 tonnes of beef and buffalo meat for 2026.