A huge fire hit a slum on the coast of Manila, capital of the Philippines, on Sunday (24). The flames, which lasted eight hours, left at least two thousand people completely homeless.
Photos taken with a drone from the Manila Office of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management showed the raging fire destroying stilt houses, built on Puting Bato Island, an extremely poor area of Manila.
Authorities reported that around a thousand homes were destroyed and eight thousand people were displaced. The fire started at 8am on Sunday local time and burned until 4pm local time.
The causes of the disaster are still being investigated, but fires like this are common in Manila’s slums. Generally, outbreaks are caused by improvised electrical wiring or faulty gas cylinders.
Largest slum in the Philippines
Puting Bato Island is in Tondo District, which is the largest slum area in Manila, home to approximately 654,220 people. Many live in run-down shacks on densely populated streets near a busy commercial port.
During the fire, residents managed to escape to the sea in makeshift boats, while others struggled to save their belongings.
“I feel bad because we have no means of subsistence, no home. Everything is gone. We don’t know how we’re going to eat. We are in a very bad situation and it is almost Christmas,” Elvira Valdemoro, a 58-year-old resident and owner of a store, which was devastated by the fire, told Reuters.
Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan visited Puting Bato Island this Monday (25) and spoke with survivors, who spent the night in makeshift tents.
“Please be patient. We will keep coming to deliver help. Nobody wanted this to happen,” Lacuna-Pangan told residents.
She asked residents to register and voluntarily go to a temporary shelter, where meals and supplies would be delivered.
“We will help you all. Don’t lose hope. Let’s help each other before Christmas. We really hope you return to your homes,” said the mayor.
This content was originally published in Fire destroys thousands of shacks in the largest favela in the Philippines on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
