More than 200 houses in the Baseco compound in Tondo were damaged after a tornado hit Manila Sunday afternoon.
The tornado lasted at least 15 minutes and also passed through Sampaloc and Intramuros.
Five persons were killed and about 20 people were injured, reports said. Several persons were also reported missing after the incident.
Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Johnny Yu said between 15 to 20 people were injured when the tornado hit, though most of them were only bruised and were treated on-site. Two were taken to the hospital, but also for minor injuries.
Baseco compound residents said the tornado came from the sea and first hit Block 1 Gasangan.
Chris Hispano, chairman of Barangay 649, Zone 68, said it ripped off the roofs of most of the houses. He said some houses were wrecked.
Yu said Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada met with residents and said he will provide them with clothes, food and materials for repairing their houses.
In Sampaloc, a convenience store was damaged and its air-conditioner fell during the tornado’s onslaught. A barangay watchman in that district said a high-tension wire in their area exploded when hit by the twister.
Several old trees were also uprooted by the tornado in Intramuros.
The tornado struck amid heavy rains brought on by the enhanced southwest monsoon in Manila and other parts of the National Capital Region.
A video posted online showed houses’ roofs blown off, trees uprooted and electric posts mowed down as the tornado tore through Manila. Netizen Karen Daphne Madrigal’s video showed the tornado passing through Binondo. A fire was also reported in the city after the tornado, Yu said.