ILOILO CITY — A fire razed some 73 houses in Barangay Benedicto, Jaro district, this city Saturday afternoon.
The fire of still undetermined origin happened at about 3:50 p.m. and quickly spread to houses, according to Fire Chief Insp. Bartolome Belira.
Hundreds of residents evacuated from their houses as firefighters battled the spreading fire.
Belira said all firetrucks in the city responded, including those from nearby towns of Oton and Pavia in Iloilo province.
He added that firefighters had difficulty getting to the scene because of narrow streets and heavy traffic.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
The more or less 73 affected families are now at Jaro gymnasium.
The city government is appealing to the public for donations especially clothes, kitchen utensils, sleeping mats and hygiene kits. PNA-northboundasia.com