Philippine investigators were searching through the gutted interior of a hotel in a Manila suburb today, trying to determine the cause of a fire that killed up to 75 people.
Investigators said they were looking into all possibilities, including whether yesterday’s pre-dawn blaze at the Manor Hotel in the Manila suburb of Quezon City was caused by faulty wiring, an accident or was a result of arson.
Officials vowed that those responsible would be punished if it was discovered that safety rules were ignored or poorly enforced.
Most of the victims, trapped inside the five-storey building, suffocated in bathrooms and Manila newspapers said the hotel had violated some building codes and the owners had been warned before.
All the victims were believed to be Filipinos, mostly participants at a weekend gathering organised by Christian evangelists.