News / News Bulletin

37 dead in Philippine shopping mall fire

Sunday, 24 December 2017 2:41 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 24 December 2017 6:10 AM ]

This photo taken on December 23, 2017 shows a firefighter standing in front of a burning shopping mall in Davao City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. (AFP)

At least 37 people are dead after a fire spread through a shopping mall in the Philippines on Saturday, local media reported.

The fire broke out on Saturday morning at the four-storey NCCC Mall in Davao City in the southern Philippines. Video shared with Reuters showed people on the roof trying to escape the smoke. The fire was still going on before dawn on Sunday.

Local media said most of the victims were believed to be employees of a call center on the top floor of the building.

President Rodrigo Duterte who served two terms as the city's mayor and still lives in Davao visited the mall on Saturday night to comfort relatives of the victims, local media said.

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Philippines