Investigators probe Manila fire

Investigators probe Manila fire

MANILA (AFP): Arson investigators on Friday grimly sifted through the ashes of a Philippine orphanage in search of clues to a fire that claimed 28 lives, mainly children, while grieving relatives struggled to identify the dead.

Many of the victims, five adults and 23 children under the age of five, were burned beyond recognition in the inferno early Thursday.

The Manila Fire Department's operations chief, Pablito Cordeta, said it could take a week to determine the cause of the tragedy.

Cordeta met with the city's fire marshal and police investigators following an order from President Joseph Estrada to probe deeper into the tragedy.