On Friday, a fire in a five-story building in Manila’s Chinatown, Binondo district, claimed at least 11 lives, including the building owner’s wife.
The blaze, which started around 7:30 a.m., was extinguished after approximately three hours. The building was used by vendors for storing goods overnight.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and it’s unclear if more individuals were trapped. The Philippines has struggled with fire safety enforcement, with recent incidents including a fatal fire in August 2023 and a deadly blaze at a shopping mall in Davao City in 2017.
Peoplesmind