Fire hits Malabon shanties

MANILA, Philippines—About 100 families lost their homes in a fire that hit a shanty community in Malabon early Monday, a city fire officer said.

Fire Inspector Noe Bragaid of the Malabon City-Bureau of Fire Protection office, said fire swept through 50 makeshift houses in Aracete village in Barangay (village) Tinejeros  in Malabon City at 9:16 a.m.

The fire reached fifth alarm before it was put out at 12:42 p.m.

He said an explosion of a liquefied petroleum gas at the house of a certain Wilfredo Silvan may have caused the fire.

Fire spread rapidly as houses in the area were made of light materials, Bragaid said.

No other details were available.