Three dead in fire in central Philippines

MANILA (Xinhua): Three people died after a fire engulfed a crowded residential area in Iloilo province in the central Philippines before dawn on Saturday, local police said.

Police said the fire, which broke out before 5am local time, spread quickly and razed over 50 houses in Molo, a district in the provincial capital Iloilo City.

The Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said it took firefighters over two hours to extinguish the fire. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the deadly fire.

On Friday, a fire gutted a crowded residential area in Cavite province, southwest of Manila, leaving four dead. - Xinhua