A fire broke out in a residential area along Anonas Street, Road 12 in Barangay 628, Santa Mesa, Manila, Monday afternoon, May 19.
According to initial reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), two children were reported dead in the blaze.
Barangay Councilor Ponyong Villaluz said the two children who were trapped in their burning house were cousins and around six to seven years old.
The official also said that the fire spread quickly because the houses in the area were made of light materials.
The fire incident occurred at around 3:42 p.m.
Authorities said that alarm levels quickly escalated due to the intensity of the flames and the proximity of homes in the area.
It was raised to the first alarm at 3:51 p.m. and had reached the fourth alarm at 6:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, two individuals were injured, 38 houses were destroyed, and around 100 families were affected by the fire.
Meanwhile, students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines were evacuated from the College of Engineering building as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing residential fire along Road 12, according to the school publication, The Engineering Spectrum.
The fire was declared under control by 6:50 p.m.
