University fire kills eight

A fire raced through a Philippines student dormitory at dawn today, killing at least eight people in Manila’s congested university district, a fire official said.

Four students were also injured in the blaze, which apparently started in the ground floor kitchen and raged for more than an hour until firefighters extinguished it, said Fire Marshal Pablito Cordeta.

He said many of the dead – five men and three women – failed to rush out of the building after a night of drinking, and some were found near a fire exit on the second floor. Suitcases and other belongings also blocked exits, making it difficult for people to escape.

“The ones who were drunk had weak reflexes and others dragged their belongings with them, slowing down their evacuation,” Cordeta said.

TV footage showed two women weeping on the street as they awaited word on the fate of friends and relatives in the burning building. Firefighters later brought out the charred victims placed on bedsheets as a large crowd looked on.

Manila, a thickly populated city, was hit by more than 400 fires last year.