MANILA: More than 10,000 families were displaced after a 12-hour fire destroyed 5,000 houses in Metro Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Xinhua News reported local authorities as saying on Tuesday.
The fire broke out at the Parola Compound in Tondo, a slum area, at around 6 pm (local time) Monday and quickly spread within the more than one-hectare lot, fanned by winds from the Manila Bay, said the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
The fire was put out at 6.30 am on Tuesday, according to the BFP. The agency said fire fighters had difficulty getting through the narrow alleyways which was one of the reasons why it took them so long to put out the fire.
Six residents in the area were slightly injured when they tried to save their belongings, said the BFP.
Initial reports showed an estimated of 55 million pesos (USD1.25 million) of property were lost in the fire.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. The authorities are looking at a possible cooking accident or electrical appliance tripping on faulty connections.