A fire in Manila’s largest slum district leaves thousands of families displaced. Authorities and aid groups are scrambling to provide relief to those affected.
A devastating fire ripped through a coastal shanty town in the Philippine capital on Sunday, November 24, leaving thousands of families homeless. The massive blaze in Isla Puting Bato, a sprawling slum area in Tondo, Manila, raged for nearly eight hours, destroying an estimated 1,000 homes and displacing roughly 8,000 people.
Drone footage released by the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office captured dramatic images of orange flames engulfing the densely packed stilt houses. The fire, which broke out at around 8 a.m., was brought under control by 4 p.m., according to the Manila Fire District.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, but incidents like this are often linked to faulty electrical wiring or mishandled gas canisters in such areas. Isla Puting Bato, located in the sprawling slum district of Tondo, is home to approximately 654,220 residents, many of whom live in precarious conditions near the busy commercial port.
Though no casualties have been reported so far, the fire has left an overwhelming number of families in dire straits. Photos from the scene showed desperate residents fleeing the flames on makeshift rafts and others scrambling to salvage what little they could from the wreckage.
Among those affected was Elvira Valdemoro, a 58-year-old shop owner, who shared her anguish: “I feel bad because we have no livelihood and no home. Everything is gone. We don’t know how we can eat. We are in a very bad situation, and it’s almost Christmas.”
Manila Mayor Maria Sheilah ‘Honey’ Lacuna-Pangan visited the devastated area on Monday to meet with survivors who had spent the night in temporary shelters. She sought to reassure them, saying, “Please be patient. We will keep coming to deliver help. No one wanted this to happen.”
The mayor urged affected families to register for assistance and temporarily relocate to evacuation centres, where food and supplies are being distributed. “We will help all of you,” Lacuna-Pangan promised. “Don’t lose hope. Let’s help each other out ahead of Christmas time. We really hope to get you back to your homes.”
The fire has cast a shadow over the holiday season for thousands of families who now face an uncertain future. Relief efforts are underway, but rebuilding will be an uphill battle for one of Manila’s most impoverished communities.
"ExpatGo welcomes and encourages comments, input, and divergent opinions. However, we kindly request that you use suitable language in your comments, and refrain from any sort of personal attack, hate speech, or disparaging rhetoric. Comments not in line with this are subject to removal from the site. "
