Firemen still battling fire at Cebu mall on 2nd day

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Firefighters may have to rethink their plans this Christmas.

They were still working to put out the flames that engulfed the eight-story Gaisano Capital – South in downtown Cebu City, more than 32 hours after the fire broke out at 12:42 a.m. Friday.

As of 10 a.m. Saturday, thick smoke continued to billow from the sixth floor of the  building at the corner of Colon and Leon Kilat streets.

Senior Superintendent Aderson Comar, Cebu City fire marshal, said they would try their best to completely put out the fire before midnight of December 24 so they could celebrate Christmas with their families.

He said they had yet to establish the cause of the fire, which started at the receiving area of the stocks of merchandise on the ground floor.

Comar said the two security guards assigned outside the receiving area could not say what caused the fire since the store was closed when it broke out.

Gaisano Capital – South closed at 10 p.m. on December 22, more than two hours before the fire started. It was supposed to hold a midnight sale on Dec. 23.

Earlier reports said there were sparks at the engine room where the generator is located on the second floor before the fire broke out. Below the engine room is the merchandise receiving area. .

Comar said the damage to the structure may reach P14 million but the amount could go up if the management would include the stocks and merchandise that were destroyed in the fire.

Gaisano Capital – South is one of the 17 shopping malls and department stores of the Gaisano Capital Group in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The chairman emeritus of the company is Eddie Gaisano but it is now being run by his children, said Eric Labrada, the company’s liaison officer. He said the Gaisano Capital –  South had just undergone renovation that cost millions of pesos.

Labrada said the management had yet to assess total damage, which could run to millions of pesos including the building and stocks.

Two days before the fire, he said, two container vans filled with merchandise were delivered in time for Christmas, New Year and Sinulog festival.