Fire Leaves Thousands Homeless in Manila

Riot in shantytown after Christmas Day blaze
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 26, 2012 12:03 AM CST
Fire Leaves Thousands Homeless in Manila
A mant trains a small hose at his still-smoldering house after fire hit a slum area in suburban San Juan, east of Manila.   (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Thousands of families in Manila were left homeless on Christmas Day after a fire tore through a shantytown in the Philippine capital, the AP reports. At least 13 people were injured, including firefighters attacked by mobs trying to grab fire hoses to save their own homes. A man who claimed to have started the fire was beaten to death by his neighbors. Fire officials say the man was drunk and the fire was actually started by children playing with candles. (More Manila stories.)

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