Abandoned hotel's rooftop catches fire

Manila, Philippines -  The rooftop of an abandoned hotel in Manila caught fire early yesterday morning after thieves allegedly burned the insulation and stole the copper wires.

The Manila Fire District reported that the rooftop of the Grand Boulevard Hotel on Roxas Boulevard caught fire at around 3:34 a.m. and reached third alarm before it was put out at around 5:20 a.m. Firefighters had to climb the building’s 20 floors to reach the rooftop.

According to SFO2 John Joseph Jaligue, they are looking into the angle that thieves may have broken into the abandoned hotel and set fire to electric cables to steal the copper wires. The official report, however, lists the cause as unknown and does not mention the estimated damage.

According to fire officials, the hotel has been closed since the Manila city government took it over when its owners failed to pay real property taxes.