10-hour fire guts hundreds of homes in Manila's ‘Happy Land’: Video
A massive fire tore through Barangay 105, Happy Land, in Tondo, Manila, over the weekend, displacing more than 2,000 families living in one of the Philippines' most densely populated informal settler communities.
The blaze broke out at around 8:27 p.m. on September 13, starting in Buildings 7 and 8 along Road 10, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). The fire quickly spread through the neighbourhood, where most homes were made of light materials.
At least 28 fire trucks were deployed as the fire reached Task Force Bravo at 10:53 p.m. The blaze was declared under control at 2:46 a.m. Sunday and was fully extinguished by 6:01 a.m., authorities said.
No fatalities were reported, but three people were injured in the incident. Damage to property was initially pegged at around P1.5 million ($26,000).
“It’s painful for me to lose our house, and we haven’t saved any of our things because the fire spread quickly, but we are thankful my family is safe,” said Josefa Gidayawan, a resident who lost her home.
A firefighter at the scene said the flames were intensified by the presence of junk shops in the area, causing the fire to spread rapidly.
“It makes me really tearful because I know how much everybody is suffering. This is our fifth fire in less than two years, so nearly everyone in this community has been burned, and now I feel so emotional,” said Jane Walker, CEO of the Upskills+ Foundation.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. City officials have since started distributing aid to the thousands of affected families as relief operations continue in the gutted neighbourhood.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
