3,000 families displaced as huge fire hits shantytown in Philippine

Thousands of people have been displaced after a huge fire ripped through a crowded shantytown in the Philippine capital, Manila.

The incident happened on Tuesday night when the blaze, which raged for several hours, destroyed 1,000 homes in the Parola Compound in the Tondo district of Manila.

The fire, which likely started due to a faulty power line, forced some 15,000 residents to flee their homes.

Fire authorities said the flames spread very quickly as many houses in the area are made of light materials, making them incredibly flammable. Seven people suffered minor injuries in the incident.

Firefighters managed to put out the fire by Wednesday morning.

A social welfare officer said three evacuation centers have been opened to house the 3,000 families, who lost their homes, and provide them with food and water.

Ignoring safety regulations often lead to huge and sometimes deadly fires at slums, markets and factories in the Philippines.

Last week, a huge factory caught fire in the Philippine capital, leaving more than 100 workers, including three Japanese, injured.

In 2015, over 70 people were killed when a fire hit a rubber slipper factory in a northern Manila suburb.