Five-hour fire hits Divisoria mall


A fire that broke out Friday night partially damaged Building II of the 999 Shopping Mall along Soler Street in Divisoria, Binondo, Manila, before it was extinguished early Saturday after nearly five hours.
According to the Manila Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the fire started at about 10 p.m. on the building’s second floor and was declared under control before being declared fire out at around 3 a.m.
Most of the stalls on the second floor sustained heavy damage, with tenants saying they were unable to salvage their merchandise because security personnel prohibited them from reentering the building.
One tenant said they were preparing wholesale orders when they noticed the smell of burning plastic but initially ignored it. A few minutes later, thick smoke began filling the corridors, prompting them to flee the building.
Firefighters were immediately directed by security personnel to the affected portion of the mall upon their arrival. They used thermal imaging equipment to identify the seat of the fire and locate remaining hotspots.
No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Fire senior inspector Ronal Lim, commander of Manila BFP Station 1, said only a portion of the shopping mall was affected and not the entire building.
He estimated that cleanup and recovery operations could be completed within three days, allowing affected businesses to resume normal operations.
Arson investigators are continuing their investigation to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
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