MANILA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A 59-year-old man died in a pre-dawn fire that gutted a house in the Philippine capital Manila on Saturday, a firefighter officer said.
Ronaldo Sanchez, marshal at Navotas City Fire Station, said the fire broke out at around 3 a.m. local time and trapped the victim on the second floor of the three-story house.
Sanchez added that the victim was fast asleep when the fire spread, torching the house.
It took firefighters an hour to contain the blaze due to the narrow alleyways leading to the house, which is located at the back of a compound.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. ■
