Philippines: Four killed, 19 feared trapped as fire hits hotel in Manila

A fire broke out at a hotel in the Philippine capital on Sunday, killing four people and trapping several on the fifth floor, a rescue official said.

About 20 people were trapped in the Manila Pavilion Hotel, Johnny Yu, chief of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, told radio station dZMM.

"We have reports coming in from the Bureau of Fire Protection that they saw from the fifth floor 19 to 20 trapped victims but they are alive," Yu said.

Yu says reports indicate at least 19 people are unaccounted for but adds that only two people, who work as security camera operators, are confirmed to have been trapped in the hotel and rescuers are trying to reach them.

It was not immediately clear how the fire started. The hotel is owned by Waterfront Philippines Inc.