A fire that started when a cat knocked over a gas lamp swept through a shantytown in a Manila suburb early Tuesday, killing two children and destroying more than 400 homes, radio reports said.

The blaze spread quickly in the fishing port of Navotas, trapping the two children inside their house, Senior Fire Officer Domingo Castelo told a radio network. The victims were 2 and 4 years old, he said.

Castelo said an initial investigation showed the fire started in the house where the children were sleeping when a cat tipped over a gas lamp.

Most of the houses in the densely populated area are made of cardboard, plywood, or other scavenged materials.