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| Baclaran mall on verge of collapse |
| Thursday, 03 January 2008 16:00 | ||||||
 The Galleria Baclaran Shopping Mall in Parañaque City is on the verge of collapse after fire gutted the building for more than 24 hours.Superintendent Sofia Mendoza, Southern Fire Department chief, said she could not order firefigters to enter the burning building because the structure has started to weaken and might collapse anytime because of the blaze. As of 11 a.m. fire continued to raze the second and third floors of the building, which are filled with shoes and other rubber products. Arson officials said the fire has destroyed an estimated P90 million worth of property. Earlier reports said the firefighters cannot enter the building because of the lack of equipment including ladders and special fireproof gear. The fire at the 5,000-square-meter mall near the Light Rail Transit main station started around 5 a.m. Thursday. Arson officials raised the second alarm at 6:05 a.m. Flames spread toward the building's second floor, raising fears that the blaze could reach the LRT station. A Task Force Echo alert was declared at 4 p.m., prompting firetrucks from all over Metro Manila to respond to the incident. Mendoza said that based on initial reports from the field, the fire started from the middle portion of the ground floor. She said they have yet to determine the origin of the fire. There were earlier reports that one of the building's blower fans might have overheated and caused the blaze. Mendoza said an inquiry will be conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection to identify the liability of the first ground commander who responded to the Baclaran mall fire. The Air Force's 505th Helicopter Wing was also forced to send a UH-1H Huey chopper with a Bambi bucket to help put out the blaze.
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