Blaze in two buildings in northern Philippines kills 16

The death toll from Sunday blaze that gobbled up two buildings in the northern Philippine province of Cagayan rose to 16, the local media reported Monday.

Deputy Regional Fire Chief Senior Superintendent Sergio Soriano Jr. said the latest fatality was one of the nursing students who earlier survived the blaze. He died due to asthma complications, Soriano said in an interview with dzBB, a local radio station.

The blaze started around 1 a.m. and arson investigators are currently investigating to determine the cause of the blaze, according to Philippine Star.

The blaze started on the ground floor of the 5-storey hotel, but quickly spread to the top level.

Police say the guests tried to move to the upper floors of the hotel, instead of trying to escape the building. Most of the guests were graduate nursing students, taking an exam over the weekend.

Authorities believe faulty wiring may have started the blaze, BigPond News reports.