PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — A fire broke out Wednesday at SM City Puerto Princesa, damaging a stall occupied by a restaurant, authorities said.
No one was hurt in the blaze that occurred at 4:16 p.m., according to Fire Superintendent Nilo Caabay Jr., the city fire marshal.
Caabay said the mall management immediately ordered the total evacuation of its tenants and workers.
He said firefighters managed to respond within three minutes.
Thick clouds of smoke engulfed the area, causing almost zero visibility and making it difficult for firefighters to enter the premises.
“The mall has an organized fire brigade, and they were the first to respond to the situation,” Caabay said, noting that the fire was immediately extinguished.
An investigation was underway to determine the cause of the fire, with probers looking into the restaurant’s chimney and electrical failure as possible causes of the blaze.
The fire also damaged the ceilings of the mall due to the heavy volume of water from sprinklers.
Caabay also stated that the incident caused damage worth between P500,000 and P1 million.
“But that [amount] may still go up after the management submits [its] affidavit,” he said. INQ
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