Flames and thick black smoke rose into the sky over Manila on Sunday, where fire ravaged hundreds of homes in the Tondo slum, the Philippine capital’s fire department said.
The Philippine capital’s fire and rescue service said about 1,000 homes were affected by the fire, which is believed to have started on the second floor of one of the houses. No casualties have been reported at this time.
Drone footage posted online by the city’s disaster response agency showed homes ravaged by flames. “This area is prone to fire because most houses are made of lightweight materials,” firefighter Geanelli Nunez told AFP.
According to firefighters, some 2,000 families lived in this shantytown, located in the Isla Puting Bato district. Leonila Abiertas, 65, lost almost all her possessions, but managed to save the funeral urn that houses her husband’s ashes. “I really don’t know how I’m going to be able to start my life again after this fire,” she told AFP, in tears.
Some 36 fire engines and four boats were deployed, while the air force sent two helicopters to help put out the flames due to the intensity of the fire.
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