Fire officials are investigating the cause of a blaze that killed four minors and hurt another child in a densely populated area in Pasay City Wednesday night.
The fire, which was started around 9 p.m., also razed 75 houses, mostly built with light materials, at the Sitio Wella Compound in Merville. It reached Task Force Charlie and rendered more than 150 families homeless
Three of the victims were reportedly from the Guarino family. The children were locked inside their house when the fire hit the community.
Responding firemen and fire volunteers coming from various parts of Southern Metro Manila placed the fire under control after six hours.
Pasay City-Bureau of Fire Protection officials have not yet identified the cause of the blaze but a number of residents believed it was caused by a candle left unattended.
Mayor Antonino Calixto urged the community and business establishments to practice fire safety precautions to avoid the detrimental effects of fire accidents.
