Duterte makes unannounced visit to fire-hit mall in Davao City

Aerial view of the fire at New City Commercial Complex . PHOTO/BONG GO

DAVAO CITY – President Duterte made an unannounced visit to the New City Commercial Complex (NCCC) Mall here past 10 p.m. Saturday, which was earlier hit by a fire that continued to rage as of posting time.

The visit was off media coverage.

Mr. Duterte, who lives in a subdivision near the establishment, inspected the ill-fated mall, where fire authorities and volunteers continued to search for 28 people – mostly call center workers – who went missing at the height of the fire.

There were reports bodies had been retrieved but no official had confirmed these.

At least six people had been rescued from the massive fire that hit NCCC, one of the large malls here starting 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

The President also spoke to relatives of the missing individuals – who stayed at a building just across NCCC – and pledged to extend any help he can, a source said.

Davao Archbishop and Catholic Bishop’s president Archbishop Romulo Valles also met with relatives of the missing individuals, whose names were being withheld by authorities.

“The archbishop had consoled them,” the source, who did not want to be identified for lack of authority to speak on both Duterte and Valles’ visits, added.

Earlier, Mayor Sara Duterte also visited the gutted mall and met with the relatives.

During her talk with them, Mayor Sara also pledged to assist them.

“I am also praying for the safety of the missing persons in the mall fire,” she told them.

Mayor Sara also assured the relatives that authorities were doing the best they can to help find the missing individuals, who, according to survivors, were trapped at the uppermost floor of the mall when the fire broke out.

The mall fire occurred as city officials and emergency workers were busy responding to flood victims in various areas of the city.

As of 7 p.m. firefighters continued to put out the blaze but a mall official said the situation was now under control.

Senior Insp. Ma. Teresita Gaspan, the Davao City Police Office spokesperson said the blaze started at around 9:30 a.m. as the mall opened and shoppers were allowed inside.

She said the flames started at the furniture section of the mall’s third floor and quickly spread to the upper floor, where the SSI call center office (not SSC as earlier reported) was located.

Gaspan said firefighters from several fire stations in the city responded and battled the flames as paramedics from the 911 Emergency Service conducted search and rescue operations inside the mall.

Hours after the blaze begun, rescuers were able to get six people out, she said.

Rushed to the hospitals for unspecified injuries were Reggen Ombain, 20; Jireh Duterte, 28; Ednard Gumela, 21; Dexter Gonzaga, 27; Ereneo Sabas Jr., 23; and Jose Banilad, 46.

All except for Ombain, had already been discharged from the hospital.

It was not immediately known if the six individuals were call center or mall employees or shoppers.

“It is unfortunate that we confirm that there was a fire at the third floor of NCCC Mall Department Store. The BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) has the situation under control and we are still verifying the extent of the incident,” Thea Septann Padua, NCCC public relations chief, said in a statement on Facebook.

“We are currently coordinating with the authorities. However, there are no reported casualties,” she added.

Gaspan said an investigation into the incident was underway.