2 hurt, 450 houses razed in Malabon fire

At least two people suffered injuries when a fire destroyed up to 450 houses in Barangay Catmon, Malabon on Thursday.

According to a report on Balitanghali by John Consulta on Friday, the fire resulted in an estimated P4.5 million worth of damage and left hundreds of residents homeless.

Malabon Fire Marshall Stephen Requina said an initial investigation showed that illegal connections for electricity might have started the blaze.

"Lahat ng anggulo ay kailangan nating tigan. Kung may intentional ba, merong negligence o di kaya  accidental," Requina said.

Authorities also said strong winds may have helped the fire spread rapidly throughout the houses which were made of light materials.

The neighborhood fire grew so much that responding fire fighters at one point used up all of their water supply.

Residents even tried to douse the flames with buckets of water fetched from the sewers until it was declared out past 4 p.m.

After losing most of their belongings to the fire, displaced residents asked President Rodrigo Duterte to help them get back on their feet. — Margaret Claire Layug/MDM, GMA News