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Manila, Philippines - A fire swept through three adjacent hotels in a Philippine resort city early Friday, killing three American retirees, one South Korean and two Filipino women, authorities said.

One of the Americans was trapped on a staircase and the two others died in separate rooms in Olongapo city, a former U.S. naval base west of the capital, Manila, said disaster response official Angelito Layug.

The blaze hit a row of the small hotel buildings that are located next to each other at 3 a.m. and was put out three hours later, he said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, and it was not clear if anyone else was hurt.

Olongapo is close to the capital and a popular beach destination, especially among American visitors, many of whom are former service members who were deployed there when the coastal city hosted one of the largest U.S. bases overseas. The base closed in 1991.

The victims' identities were not immediately available.