Mandaluyong shopping mall fire declared out

PHOTO courtesy of MMDA

Updated (2:42 a.m.)

After almost six hours, the fire that hit a big shopping mall in Mandaluyong City was declared out at 1:30 a.m.

The fire broke out at the mall’s construction site, according to Fire Superintendent Ruben Ramirez. So far, there were no reported casualties.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire as well as the cost of damage.

The fire started around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.  A video from Twitter user @banjobiblegal showed smoke coming out of the affected area. A separate video from @koctavian showed firemen and security guards working to control the situation.

The mall’s management earlier issued a statement saying they were addressing the emergency concerns.

“Our Emergency Response Team, together with the Bureau of Fire Protection are already managing the situation,” it said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

“We are taking all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of everyone in complex,” the statement said. “Only a portion of the mall is affected by smoke coming from the site.”

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) raised the third alarm past 9:00 p.m.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) advised motorists to avoid the area.

“All vehicles please take Shaw (Boulevard) tunnel for an alternate route,” MMDA said in a Twitter post. /ee

PHOTO from Mandaluyong Fire Station

PHOTO from Mandaluyong Fire Station

This is a developing story; please refresh this page for updates.