Two children killed as fire destroys 400 shantytown homes

Two young children were killed and more than 400 homes destroyed in the Philippines when a fire swept through a Manila shantytown.

Reports said it was believed the fire started when a cat knocked over a gas lamp.

The blaze spread quickly in the fishing port of Navotas, trapping the two children inside their house, senior fire officer Domingo Castelo told Radio DZBB. The victims were aged two and four, he said.

Castelo said an initial investigation showed the fire started in the house where the children were sleeping when a cat tipped over a gas lamp.

Most of the houses in the densely populated area are made of cardboard, plywood, or other scavenged materials.