P50M lost in Victory Central Mall fire in Caloocan

A fireman shatters glass windows to let out the smoke inside the Victory Mall in Caloocan City which caught fire Monday. LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines–A fire gutted a mall in Caloocan City 25 minutes before it opened to the public Monday morning, destroying at least P50-million worth of property and merchandise.

The Victory Central Mall on Rizal Avenue Extension caught fire at 9:35 a.m. Monday, according to Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) Director for Operations Supt. Crisfo Diaz who said it started at the Yellow Lane RTW Section which was in the mezzanine of the seven-story building.

The flames quickly spread to the mall’s second and third floors where more stalls selling clothes and shoes, as well as cell  phones were located. Diaz said that around P50 million worth of property and merchandise might have been lost in the blaze which was placed under control at 4:50 p.m.

Caloocan fire marshal Supt. Roel Jeremy Diaz said that they contained the fire at 3:17 p.m. He added that firefighters, though equipped with breathing apparatuses, had a hard time putting out the flames because of the thick smoke inside the building.

The BFP-NCR’s Diaz said they were looking at electrical failure as the possible cause of the blaze. He added that employees at the mall, owned by Guru Property Development and Management Corp., tried to put out the fire but failed.

Victory Malls leasing manager Ricci Mangio said the establishment was equipped with the necessary fire equipment. But reports reached fire officials that the sprinklers inside the mall failed to operate when the blaze broke out.

“We’ll conduct a verification if there is a yearly testing of the equipment,” the BFP’s Diaz said.

Two firemen were injured in the blaze—
Allan Dimal suffered an abrasion in the  knee while Bagong Barrio, Caloocan substation commander Insp. Jyner Rick Cariño suffered a cut on his finger.

A former firefighter, however, was arrested after he was caught with several cell phones and five tablets which he had placed in the pockets of his fireman’s uniform.

Security guard William Tongco said that he and his colleague caught the 24-year-old suspect as he was going out the mall’s back entrance and turned him over to the police.