Fatalities in Philippine fireworks blaze: Mayor

MANILA (AFP) - A fire that ripped through a group of fireworks shops in the Philippines Wednesday (Oct 12) has killed an unknown number of people and injured at least 10 others, the local mayor said.

The fire broke out at a strip of shops along a major road in Bocaue, a town about 30 kilometres north of Manila.

"Unfortunately, we are hearing some people are dead already but we don't have the exact figures," Bocaue mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna told ABS-CBN television.

She said the fire had been contained by early Wednesday afternoon, but not extinguished.

Television footage showed charred cars that had been overturned by the force of explosions from the fire, and debris across the road.

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