Blaze destroys 1,000 shanties in Malabon

MANILA, Philippines -  A six-hour fire destroyed at least 1,000 shanties and displaced almost 4,000 people in a squatter colony in Sitio Gulayan, Barangay Catmon in Malabon City, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported yesterday.

Fire Officer 2 Efren Espinosa told The STAR that the fire broke out shortly before midnight Friday and was put out at around 5 a.m. yesterday.

“The cause of the fire is still being determined but this is the biggest fire to hit Malabon in the past several years,” he said.

No injuries were reported and property damage was initially placed at P1 million.

Bong Padua, Malabon City public information officer, said Mayor Canuto Oreta supervised the evacuation of more than 4,000 people who fled their homes after the fire broke out.

He said Oreta has ordered the deployment of social workers medical workers to assist the evacuees who are temporarily staying in the barangay hall and open basketball court.

Policemen and barangay tanods were also deployed to prevent looting in the area.