Fire displaces 150 families living under Manila bridge

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MANILA, Philippines—A fire that displaced some 150 families living beneath Nagtahan Bridge in Manila on Friday morning might have been caused by a candle that had accidentally toppled over.

Nobody was reported injured in the blaze which razed some 100 shelters made of light materials along North Nagtahan Street in Sta. Mesa.

SFO2 Emmanuel Gaspar, of the Manila Fire District, said the fire started from the home of Baby Centeno at 3131 North Nagtahan Street at around 2:21 a.m.

One of Centeno’s housemates, he pointed out, apparently lit a candle after the electricity at the house was cut off and left it unattended. When the candle accidentally toppled over, the flames set the house ablaze.

Gaspar revealed that the fire spread quickly among the homes beneath the bridge while residents fled to safety.

Responding firemen were able put out the fire, which reached the third alarm, at around 4:45 am. The arson investigator placed the estimated cost of damaged property at P100,000.