Thousands of people were displaced after a massive fire swept through an islet in the southern Philippines.
The blaze broke out around 10:00 pm (1400 GMT) in Barangay Lamion and raged for nearly four hours, destroying about 1,000 houses built on stilts and made largely of light materials, state news agency PNA reported. Strong winds fuelled the flames, allowing the fire to spread rapidly across the densely packed community.
A video shared on Facebook by the S/B F&M SeaJet page showed massive flames engulfing the region.
More than 5,000 individuals were evacuated by land and sea and are now temporarily housed at two evacuation centres according to PNA.
On Wednesday, the Bongao local government unit coordinated with the Bangsamoro Ministry of Social Services and Development and the provincial government to carry out primary relief operations. Health personnel from the Bongao Rural Health Unit were also deployed to attend to the medical needs of displaced residents.
The Bongao Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) reported that no fatalities were recorded, though several footbridges were damaged, hampering rescue and firefighting efforts during the height of the blaze.
Firefighters declared the fire under control at around 2 am (1800 GMT). Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and to assess the total cost of property damage.
