A person was killed while seven others were injured in a five-hour fire that hit a residential area in Las Piñas City on Wednesday.
Around 1,000 families were left homeless in the blaze that broke out at the Laong Compound in Barangay Almanza.
Strong winds, the lack of water and narrow alleys delayed the firemen’s response, allowing the flames to spread to nearby Sampaguita Compound in Pilar Village.
Senior Insp. Pena Borlad of the local Bureau of Fire Protection office said the fire started at 2:54 a.m. in the house of Marilyn Cura in Laong Compound.
With at least 575 houses destroyed, damage to property was estimated at P1.5 million.
Firemen later found the charred remains of a still unidentified person, and counted at least seven residents who suffered injuries, including a man who sustained burns on his arm.
The displaced families were moved to a covered basketball court as the city government prepared cash assistance. —Dexter Cabalza