A huge blaze has swept through a shanty town outside the Philippines capital, destroying hundreds of homes and leaving thousands of people homeless.

Two hundred fire engines were sent to fight the flames in the Quezon City slum, outside Manila, reports said.

Firefighters were beaten back as the blaze spread swiftly, fanned by strong winds and intense summer heat.

At least one man is thought to have died, and several firefighters were injured.

In pictures: Manila blaze

The fire, which started on Sunday afternoon, was still burning at nightfall.

Firefighters struggled to penetrate the dense network of alleys in the slum, which were crowded with people trying to salvage their belongings.

"We failed to save anything except our clothes," a weeping resident, Glen Sardon, told the Associated Press news agency.

As many as 600 homes were feared destroyed in the blaze and up to 7,000 residents left homeless, it was reported.