Four individuals, including two children, died in a fire that engulfed a residential area in Dapitan Street Cor. Blumentritt, Manila, early Saturday morning.
In a report by Edwin Duque, among the victims was an elderly woman who was unable to escape from the second floor of her home due to an illness. Her four-year-old granddaughter, a student at Laon Laan Elementary School, also perished in the blaze.
Another victim was a relative identified as a gay family member who was sleeping beside the young girl when the fire broke out.
Another family renting on the third floor was also affected. Among them was a five-year-old girl, also a student at Laon Laan Elementary School, who died in the incident.
The intensity of the fire caused the floor of the house to collapse, trapping the victims on the ground floor.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared the fire out at around 4:24 a.m. after responding to the blaze at 2:40 a.m.
Further investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire.