At least 11 people died on Friday in a fire in a five-storey residential and commercial building in the Chinatown precinct of the Philippine capital, a community official said.
The blaze in Manila's Binondo district was doused about three hours after fire responders were alerted around 7.30 a.m. (2300 GMT), fire officials said, but there was no immediate word on the cause.
"The wife of the building owner was among those that died," Nelson Ty, an elected official for the community where the fire broke out, told radio station DZRH, adding that vendors had used the structure to store their goods at night.
It was not immediately clear if more people had been trapped and were feared dead, however, he said.
The Philippines has a patchy record in enforcing fire safety in buildings, homes and offices.
Sixteen people died in a fire at a residential and warehouse building in August last year, while a massive fire engulfed the capital's historic Central Post Office building in May 2023.
In 2017, a fire at a shopping mall in southern Davao City killed 37 call centre agents and a security officer.
Putin says US-Russia contacts beneficial as talks begin with Witkoff and Kushner
Chinese national rescued from Nepal tunnel 10 days after flash flood
US envoys Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks on peace in Ukraine
One dead, 11 people missing after mudslide in China's Jiangxi province
Philippine VP Duterte posts bail after arrest order for alleged grave threats
Lindsay Clancy trial over killing her children ends in mistrial
Israel says it strikes southern Lebanon after Hezbollah drone launch
Sydney sweats in spring hot spell, faces 'extreme' bushfire risk
