At least eight people were killed in a fire that engulfed a residential area of the state university campus in Manila on Monday. Citing Bureau of Fire Protection officials, local radio DzBB said the victims were trapped in their homes when the fire broke out at around 5 a.m. inside the University of the Philippines compound in the Quezon City suburb, reports Xinhua news agency. Six of the victims, including children, were found in one house.
According to the report, the blaze burned down an estimated 80 houses and affected around 250 families. Some residents were reportedly injured after jumping out of their burning homes to escape the raging fire. Firefighters extinguished the fire after almost two hours. The bureau is yet to issue an official statement on the cause of the blaze. According to the local media, many of the houses in the community were made out of "light materials".