Up to thirty-seven people are feared dead after fire engulfed a shopping mall in the Philippines.

The blaze began in the NCCC mall in the southern Philippines city of Davao Saturday morning (local time) with many of the victims believed to have been trapped in a call centre on the mall's 4th floor.

Vice-Mayor Paolo Duterte said the chances of survivors being found at this point were "zero", the Guardian reports.

Local police officer Ralph Canoy, said the fire was still going before dawn on Sunday morning.

"The fire started on the third floor, which houses products like fabrics, wooden furniture and plastic ware, so the fire quickly spread and it's taking a long time to put out."

President Rodrigo Duterte, who previously served as Mayor of Davao and continues to live in the city, visited the mall on Saturday night to comfort relatives of the victims who had gathered at the scene.

Newshub.