P250 M lost in Divisoria Mall fire

MANILA, Philippines - The fire that hit Divisoria Mall at past midnight Thursday destroyed P250 million worth of property, an official said yesterday.

According to a report by Senior Superintendent Anderson Comar, assistant regional director for operations of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) National Capital Region office, the fire at the 5,000-square meter mall was placed under control at past 3 p.m. Friday.

He said firefighters started mopping up at around 10 p.m. Friday, though the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Manila Fire Department earlier said the fire could take at least three to five days to be completely put out. The MFD has reportedly turned over the investigation to the BFP’s national headquarters.

Firefighters on 100 firetrucks rushed to the burning mall on Thursday but as of yesterday, firemen on 30 firetrucks were left to ensure that the fire remained contained and will not spread to adjacent buildings.

According to the MFD, 90 percent of the mall was affected by the blaze, noting that the three upper floors have already sagged while the first, second and third floors were still stable.

The fire department also said liquefied petroleum gas tanks at the mall’s food court on the third floor helped fan the fire. However, the fire at the third floor was contained after the LPG from exploded tanks burned out.

Two employees trapped in the burning mall were rescued two hours after the fire started. Security guard Teodoro Enriquez and maintenance worker Franklin Peralta were taken to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center and pronounced out of danger.