MANILA, Philippiines (AP) — A fire swept through a part of a small building in Manila’s crowded Chinatown district Friday, leaving at least 11 people dead, police said, adding that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the blaze.
About 14 firetrucks battled for more than two hours to control the blaze in an old five-story building in one of the world’s oldest Chinatowns, a densely populated riverside section of the capital.
Fire investigator Roderick Andres said the fire started in an eatery on the ground floor, and that several of its staff were among the dead. Most of the dead, he added, were found on the second and third floors, and no one else has been reported missing.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna offered condolences to the victims’ families and ordered inspections to ensure old buildings comply with safety regulations and standards.
Lax enforcement of safety regulations has caused deadly fires in the Philippines in the past.
A 1996 nightclub fire killed 162 people, mostly students celebrating the end of the school year, in Quezon city in the capital region. About 400 people were packed in the Ozone disco when the fire started, but many were unable to escape because the emergency exit was blocked by a new building next door.