‘Kwitis’ guts Las Piñas church

Fire gutted the Mary Immaculate Parish in Moonwalk Village, Las Piñas, shortly after the Philippines welcomed the New Year, radio DZBB reported. According to the report, a self-propelled firework called "kwitis" hit the roof of the church, which is also known as Nature’s Church, at the height of the New Year revelry. The hour-long fire destroyed the church’s roof, which was made of "sawali" or woven bamboo, but no one was reported injured. Nearly 200 people from various parts of Metro Manila were rushed to hospitals due to injuries from various types of firecrackers. The report said among those hospitalized were a six-year-old boy and a 64-year-old woman. Most of the victims injured their fingers, the report said. -GMANews.TV