10,000 families homeless after huge fire in Manila

More than 10,000 families were displaced after a fire that raged for 12 hours and destroyed over 5,000 houses in Metro Manila, capital of the Philippines, authorities said on Tuesday.

The fire broke out at the Parola Compound in Tondo, a slum area, at around 6 p.m. on Monday and, fanned by winds from the Manila Bay, quickly spread across the more than one-hectare lot, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

The fire was put out at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the BFP. The agency said fire fighters had difficulty getting through the narrow alleyways which was one of the reasons why it took them so long to put out the blaze.

Six residents in the area were slightly injured when they tried to save their belongings, said the BFP.

Initial reports said an estimated 55 million-peso ($1.25 million) worth of property was lost in the fire.

An investigation into the cause of the fire was under way. The authorities were looking at a possible cooking accident or electrical appliance tripping on faulty connections.