MANILA, Philippines — An alleged "lovers' quarrel" was said to be behind the fire that affected about 600 families in Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday, residents said Thursday.
The perpetrator? A jealous convict, who was released from prison recently, allegedly started the fire, said Barangay 655 captain Johnny Yacub who was quoting one resident although the circumstances of the dispute were not clear.
Yacub said in Filipino that the unidentified ex-convict was "beaten up" after.
“I’m not sure what else happened, because I told them not to hurt him, but villagers ganged up on him and beat him up,” Yacub said.
The fire was declared out at 11:33 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (MDRRM) Department in its Facebook post.
As of posting time, there were no reports of fatalities or injuries from the blaze.