500 families homeless in Manila fire

MANILA, Philippines — Some 500 families were left homeless in a fire that swept through a community of informal settlers in Sta. Cruz, Manila Thursday morning.

Radio reports said that fire of still unknown origin broke out at about 5:40 a.m. at a residential area at the corner of Doroteo Jose and Oroquieta Streets.

The affected area was only meters away from the Manila City Jail and the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital.

It took almost two hours to contain the fire that reached Task Force Charlie.

Firefighters said they had difficulty battling the blaze as most of the houses were made of light materials.

The report said the fire was put out shortly before 9 a.m.

‎Damage to property was estimated at P1 million.