Online Desk :
Six children were among the eight people killed in a blaze that ravaged scores of houses near the Philippines capital of Manila.
The fire started at 5 am local time on Monday and destroyed 80 homes, BBC reported, citing local officials.
The cause of the fire is unknown but authorities have said that it started on the second floor of a house in a crowded settlement inside the campus area of the University of the Philippines in Quezon City.
It took a couple of hours to douse the flames, AFP news agency reports, citing senior fire officer Greg Bichayda.
Bichayda said victims were unable to flee from their homes as the blaze spread rapidly. Six of them were children, but he was unable to confirm their ages.
“The houses consist of light materials. When the fire broke out, people were shocked. Our station was just nearby but they weren’t able to call us immediately”, he added.
The Philippines’ capital has a large number of residents per square kilometre. Cities like Quezon and the capital are part of Metro Manila, which has a population of about 13 million.
Fires are common in the overcrowded communities where thousands of people live, according to the BBC.
