MANILA, Philippines – The fire that broke out late before dawn Thursday in Divisoria Mall is still raging Thursday afternoon, and fire fighters said it will take two days to put out the blaze.
About 100 fire trucks from all over the National Capital Region rushed to the scene of the inferno that has been raised to a Task Force Charlie alarm since 5:30 a.m., five hours after the fire started, according to Chief Inspector Bonifacio Carta of the Manila Fire Bureau.
The fifth and sixth floors of the mall on Tabora corner
Comercio and Tobara streets, Binondo, Manila have already sagged and the fire razed about 90 percent of the building.
Firefighters pumped gallons of water onto the establishment to cool down the fire so they could break into the premises, said Carta.
They have tried every means to enter the mall but they were turned back by columns of flames and the thick smoke.
Security Guard Teodoro Enriquez and maintenance worker Franklin Peralta had been rescued from the building and were reported in a stable condition.
Carta said no fatalities were reported so far. Tessa Distor