Fire hits residential area in Malate, Manila

Fire broke out at a residential area on P. Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila before dawn on Tuesday.

The fire started past 3 a.m. and affected 80 houses, according to a report by Mai Bermudez on GMA News' Unang Balita.

Around 200 families were affected and even the barangay hall of Barangay 791 was razed.

Four people were earlier reported missing — two children, a 65-year-old man, and a 69-year-old woman.

Three of the missing were later found alive.

However, one of them, Lydia Bernal, 69, died in the fire, according to a succeeding report by Bermudez on Balitanghali.

Lilibeth Bernal said they were all asleep when they woke up to shouts of neighbors warning them of an ongoing fire.

She guided her father who was blind and her child out of the house. Her mother was still inside the house getting something.

When they looked back, the fire was already spreading fast and thick smoke could be seen. Many of the houses were made of light materials, a fireman said.

The victim's body was found inside the bathroom of their house.

Barangay chairman Jaime Adriano said almost 80% of the houses in the inner streets of the residential area were affected by the fire.

Residents did what they could to bring out their possessions, disregarding social distancing and forgetting to wear face masks in the process.

The fire was put under control at 4:50 a.m.

Firemen estimated the cost of damage to reach P500,000.

Residents have yet to be brought to an evacuation center since other facilities have been used to house COVID-19 patients. —KG, GMA News