blinkx

  • Manila fire destroys homes

  • 00:01:27
  • ITN
    • Browse

Manila fire destroys homes

A raging fire lasting over five hours has gutted homes in the Philippines.At least 1,200 families have been left homeless by the blaze in a Manila shantytown.Locals tried in vain to douse the flames, which made easy work of the properties made mostly of plywood.Witnesses told investigators the fire started in a house somewhere in the middle of the poverty stricken community.Firefighters had difficulty reaching the area partly because the alleys and narrow streets were clogged by residents fleeing with their belongings.Miraculously only two people were hurt in the blaze and the ret of the residents walked away unscathed.Resident Pio Adino said: "I am looking through the rubble, hoping to salvage some things to sell and earn a little money to buy food. But there is nothing left, just ashes."Most of the homeless have been temporarily sheltered at a gymnasium and two public schools in the city.Authorities in the Philippines issued fire warnings last month at the start of the hot and dry season.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | April 8, 2007Watch more videos from ITN

Tags:. .fire. .because. .month. .public. .locals









Alleys   Am   Ashes   Away   Because   Belongings   Blaze   Buy   Clogged   Community   Destroys   Difficulty   Douse   Dry   Earn   Easy   Fire   Firefighters   Five   Flames   Fleeing   Food   Gutted   Gymnasium   Homeless   Hoping   Hours   Hurt   Independent   Index   Investigators   Issued   Least   Left   Limited   Locals   Manila   Middle   Miraculously   Month   Narrow   Nothing   Philippines   Pio   Plywood   Poverty   Properties   Public   Raging   Reaching   Reserved   Residents   Ret   Rubble   Salvage   Sell   Sheltered   Somewhere   Stricken   Temporarily   Told   Tried   Unscathed   Vain   Walked   Warnings   Witnesses