INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Five children died in a fire that broke out in their house at Barangay 97 in Tondo, Manila, on Monday night.
The fire started at the second floor of their three-story house past 10 p.m., according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
It reached the second alarm before it was declared extinguished after almost an hour. At least 13 fire trucks rushed to the scene but had difficulty getting there because of the narrow streets.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation with the BFP estimating the damage to property at around P150,000. A TV report said that three families lived in the house and the fatalities were cousins between 8 and 14 years old.
A relative said the children were just visiting the city during the holiday break. —FRANCES MANGOSING