Thousands of houses in the slum were destroyed (Source: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) - A massive fire swept through a crowded slum in the Philippine capital city of Manila, destroying houses and leaving up to 15,000 people homeless.
Four people were injured in the fire that broke out on February 7 night and raged for 10 hours as hundreds of firefighters hauled their hoses across rickety, tin roofs to reach the flames.
About 3,200 houses were destroyed, a fire investigator said, adding that all of these houses are made of light flammable materials.
Manila authorities said between 9,000 and 15,000 people in the area were left homeless. Temporary evacuation centres have been set up nearby.
According to the Manila fire department, such fires were common in the city’s densely populated slums where many residents still use candles to light their homes.
Studies found that nearly a quarter of Manila’s 13 million residents live in slums due to poverty and a shortage of low-cost housing.-VNA
VNA
