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Wednesday, Dec 26, 2012 5:30 AM UTC

8 dead in Christmas Day fires, riot in Philippines

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Topics: From the Wires,

8 dead in Christmas Day fires, riot in PhilippinesNeighbors and friends cry as they watch firemen retrieve bodies after a fire hit a row of apartments in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines on Christmas day Tuesday Dec. 25, 2012. Fire Officer 3 Francisco Mabunga said about 6 people died when a row of houses went up in flames early Christmas day Tuesday. Another fire hit a slum area in San Juan city leaving some 2,000 families homeless. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)(Credit: Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Angry residents beat a man to death and threw rocks at firefighters after a shantytown fire left thousands of people homeless, and another Christmas Day blaze in the Philippine capital left seven people dead, officials said Wednesday.

A resident was beaten to death by his neighbors after shouting that he started Tuesday’s shantytown fire in suburban San Juan city, Senior Fire Officer Domingo Cabog said.

The man was reportedly drunk and was not responsible for the fire. Cabog said the fire started in a house where children were playing with lighted candles.

Some 5,000 people were left homeless and 13 people were hurt in the shantytown. The injured included two firefighters and a volunteer hit by rocks that were thrown by residents who were impatient and tried to grab fire hoses to save their own shanties, Cabog said.

As firefighters struggled to penetrate the narrow alleys, one of them was mauled by a mob and rescued by a police officer, Cabog said. Two fire trucks also were damaged in the violence.

“It’s Christmas and many of the men in the neighborhood were drunk,” Cabog said, adding that some residents brandished knives.

The homeless were given shelter at a gymnasium and in tents near a basketball court. Police were investigating the beating death but no one was immediately arrested Wednesday.

In Quezon City, another of the 16 cities that make up metropolitan Manila, a predawn fire Tuesday killed a veterinarian and six household members who were trapped inside a house, said arson investigator Rosendo Cabillan. The blaze was suspected to be triggered by an overloaded electrical circuit, he said.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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