A large pile of garbage first collapsed and then went up in flames which resulted in the destruction of about 100 houses.
[1] The residents near the Payatas dumpsite, specifically Lupang Pangako were moved to the area from other parts of Quezon City in the 1990s under then mayor Brigido Simon.
Parts of Lupang Pangako then would be used for the dump, a "mountain of garbage" eventually piled up near the relocation site.
Other sources, however, suggest that 705 people were killed in Payatas[3][full citation needed] and many first-hand accounts note the number is far greater than the official figure, perhaps closer to 1,000.
[8] The Quezon City local government was found legally liable to compensate 56 heirs of the victims in 2020.