Fire ripped through a 22-storey tall apartment block today (April 29) in Manila, the Philippines.

The emergency services were called just before 1 pm local time when flames appeared near the top of the Pacific Coast Plaza Condominium in the Tambo area.

Resident Roy Santos said: ‘’The flames are still burning now. They started about an hour ago before 1 pm.

‘’The back of the building is burning. I don’t know if people are inside or everybody managed to escape.

''It's scary. There are many people who live there.''

The fire is believed to have started on the 21st floor of the building at around 12:37 pm. The Bureau of Fire Protection raised the general alarm at 12:46 p.m.

It is not known how many people were inside the building at the time of the fire or if there are any casualties.