A thousand houses destroyed at Compound Word. Only seven injured, no casualties. Three thousand families have lost everything
Manila (AsiaNews) - A fire of devastating proportions destroyed the houses of about 15,000 inhabitants of a shantytown near the port of Manila last night. The fire was extinguished this morning.
Officials of firefighters claim that about 1,000 houses were gutted by flames in Compound Word, where several families often shared little houses that run along narrow lanes.
Officer Edilberto Cruz, speaking on behalf of the rescue units, assured that only seven people suffered minor injuries in the fire that broke out last night and then spread very quickly. So far, there are no victims.
The authorities opened three evacuation centers, food and water have been distributed to 3,000 families who lost their homes, says the social worker Regina Jane Mata.
Many people gathered in nearby streets with their personal belongings, including clothes, washing machines and electric fans.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. Often shanti-towns are burned to make room for new and lucrative construction projects.