Some 700 families were rendered homeless after a huge fire, which reached Task Force India, engulfed a slum area in Mandaluyong City on Monday evening, destroying properties worth more than P8 million.

Fortunately, no one was reported hurt during the five-hour fire that destroyed some 400 shanties at the Welfareville Compound in Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City at around 7 p.m., Monday.

Fire Officer 3 Oscar Pedro of the Mandaluyong Fire Station said it took the combined forces of firefighters and volunteers from all over the National Capital Region (NCR) to put out the fire.

"This is the worst fire that hit Mandaluyong City this year. We rarely have fire incidents or fire cases that reach the Task Force India alarm," he told the Manila Bulletin in an interview.

What worsened the situation, according to Pedro, was that majority of the houses were made of light materials and that the shanties were built close to each other, enabling the fire to hopscotch from one house to another.

"Mistulang naging panggatong yung mga bahay since na gawa ang mga ito sa plywood at yero na siya namang nagpalaki sa apoy. Nahirapan din kami na puntahan yung ibang affected area at apulahin yung apoy kasi medyo makipot yung mga daan," the fire officer said.

As dozens of firefighters fought the raging fire, affected families took refuge inside the nearby Fabella Memorial Elementary School Gym also in Welfareville Compound in Barangay Addition Hills.