Three Filipinas killed in Doha fire

Three Philippine teachers were among 19 people confirmed to have died at a shopping mall fire in Qatar, Manila's foreign department said today.

The three women all worked at the Gympanzee Nursery School inside the Doha mall and died of smoke inhalation, foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez told AFP.

A brother of one of the dead teachers was also treated in hospital for smoke inhalation but had been pronounced out of danger, Hernandez said, saying the information came from the Philippine ambassador in Doha.

Four children from Spain, triplets from New Zealand and a French child were among those who perished in the blaze, according to their respective governments.