500 families homeless in Tondo fire

MANILA, Philippines — Some 500 families were left homeless in a fire that hit a slum area in Tondo, Manila yesterday.

The fire started at around 7:30 a.m. and quickly reached Task Force Alpha after 30 minutes, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection-Manila. 

The fire was put out at around 9:40 a.m.

Some 500 families of Happyland were left homeless in the fire that caused P1.2 million in damages. The name of the slum area was derived from the Bisaya word “hapilan,” which means a dump.

Residents said the fire was caused by an electric fan that overheated, but this remains under investigation, according to lead arson prober Capt. Guillermo Firmalino.