Up to 100 families were left homeless after a fire broke out at a neighborhood in Malate in Manila on Friday.
The blaze started from a two-story house along Leveriza Street in Barangay 705 at 9:24 p.m., according to a report from the Manila Police District.
The MPD said most of the destroyed houses were made of light combustible materials.
The Bureau of Fire Protection raised the first alarm at 9:33 p.m. and elevated it to second alarm two minutes after. The BFP declared the blaze controlled at 10:50 p.m. and fire out at 12:03 a.m. yesterday.
According to the MPD, the blaze displaced 70 to 100 families. Investigators initially estimated property losses to be at P500,000.
The fire victims are sheltered at the Dakota covered court at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Asuncion Street, the MPD added.
In a report by ABS-CBN News, Barangay 705 chairperson Lara Teves said some residents blamed people who burn copper as having caused the blaze.