A massive fire that raged for seven hours through a crowded slum community in the Philippine capital, Manila, has claimed the lives of at least two people and left hundreds of families homeless.
Fire authorities said on Monday the blaze spread very quickly because many houses in the area are made of light materials, making them an incredibly flammable fire risk.
"The fire spread rapidly because the houses were made of light materials and the roads were so narrow," media outlets quoted a fire official as saying.
The official also added that the two casualties had been trapped in their homes after the massive blaze engulfed the area.
Sources said the fire destroyed more than 500 houses and left close to 1,500 families homeless.
Over 5,000 people had been temporary housed in four public schools in Mandaluyong City, to the east of downtown Manila.
Fire protection officials have launched a probe into the cause of the fire.
A massive blaze destroyed 800 houses in the same community last year.
Ignoring safety regulations often lead to huge and sometimes deadly fires breaking out at slums, markets and factories in the Philippines.
In May 2015, 72 people were killed in a huge blaze at a footwear factory in the northern suburbs of Manila.
In 1996, 162 people were killed at a Manila club.
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