Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A devastating fire swept through the densely populated Isla Puting Bato neighborhood in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday, November 24. According to CNN, the fire destroy approximately 1,000 homes and leaving 2,000 families homeless.
Drone footage shared online by the city’s disaster agency showed a grim scene as the raging fire burn down the house in the Isla Puting Bato area.
According to the Manila Fire District, the fire is believed to have started on the second floor of a house around 8 a.m. The fire spread quickly, fueled by the tightly packed area, and burned for nearly eight hours before being contained.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, though blazes in Manila’s slum areas are often attributed to faulty electrical wiring or gas canisters. Although no casualties have been reported so far, the fire destroyed approximately 1,000 homes, significantly affecting 2,000 families.
Isla Puting Bato is located in the district of Tondo, which is Manila’s largest slum, home to about 654,220 residents. Many people live in makeshift shacks across densly packed streets near a bustling commercial port, making the area highly vulnerable to such disasters.
Senior Inspector Alejandro Ramos, head of intelligence and investigation at the Manila Fire Department, stated that most of the homes in the affected area were constructed with lightweight, highly flammable materials, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
The fire’s proximity to a container terminal in the busy port area further complicated firefighting efforts, delaying containment. It took responders eight hours to bring the blaze under control.
Authorities deployed 36 fire trucks and four fireboats to combat the flames. Additionally, three Philippine Air Force helicopters equipped with helibuckets provided aerial support to extinguish the fire.
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Thousands of families have been left homeless and forced to evacuate following the massive fire in Manila. Many residents also lost valuable belongings in the disaster. Images circulating on social media show residents using makeshift rafts to salvage whatever possessions they could from the wreckage.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan visited the site to assess the situation firsthand and promised swift government assistance for those affected.
“We will ensure that evacuees receive cash aid, food, and materials to rebuild their homes through the local government,” Mayor Lacuna said in a statement. “We must come together to support the fire victims in this time of great need.”
(Raidi/Agung)
