|
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Explosion heard before fire engulfs Ororama
By Annabelle L. Ricalde
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Eyewitnesses reportedly heard an explosion before the fire started to engulf Ororama Mega Mall, flagship of businessman Hong See's chain of malls, on Wednesday, the city fire marshal said.
Inspector Richard Baang, acting Cagayan de Oro fire marshal, said employees of Ororama’s engineering department heard a mild explosion at the fourth floor after midnight before the fire spread throughout the four-storey mall.
What's your take on the Mindanao crisis? Discuss views with other readers
Not one of the Ororama Mega Mall employees was hurt unlike the September 26, 1995 fire that gutted Ororama Superstore in J.R. Borja Street, killing 14 workers.
"The fire started at the 4th floor particularly in the shoe department, according to the employees we interviewed," Baang said.
He said the employees were having a break -- having their snack at the fast-food section at the store basement -- when they heard the mild explosion coming from the fourth floor of the shopping mall.
Baang said the employees did not mind it at first and went on eating their meal, thinking it was only some items that fell on the floor.
"When they went up to check the cause of the explosion, they saw the flames engulfing the entire floor," Baang told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
He said the employees ran to the exit door and informed the security guards on duty.
Workers interviewed by Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro said there were ten employees from the engineering department who were working overtime that day.
Baang said all of the workers were accounted for.
Marciano Bungcac, security guard of the nearby Bank of the Philippine Islands, said flames were already visible on the mall's roof around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Baang said they received the call around 12:50 a.m. and the Cagayan de Oro Bureau of Fire Protection issued a fourth-alarm alert, marshalling all firetrucks to rally to the burning Ororama Megamall building.
At least 13 fire trucks responded to the alarm including eight fire trucks manned by volunteer firemen and four from Puerto, Lapasan, Carmen, Kauswagan and Macabalan substations.
By the time the fire trucks arrived, however, the fire was leaping out from its roof--visible for more than a kilometer.
Firemen were also not able to enter the mall since all of its doors were closed. They have to struggle with their hoses training the water to the roof from the streets below.
It was an uphill battle for the firemen. Until Wednesday night, no firemen were able to enter inside the mall where smoke was still visible around 7 p.m.
Baang said they have not declared a "fire out status" because the inside of the mall is still smoldering in flames.
Baang said they are issuing an initial estimate of P10 million on fire damages pending the entry of their investigators in the mall.
1995 fire
The Ororama chain of malls owned by See was the first in Cagayan de Oro in the early 90s.
This is the second time that a fire destroyed one of the Ororama shopping malls.
In Sept. 26, 1995, a fire caused by exploding firecrackers gutted the Ororama Superstore in J.R. Borja Street killing 14 of its workers.
It was the biggest tragedy involving shopping malls death at that time.
The fire at Ororama Superstore nearly put the See out of business. The Bureau of Fire Protection placed the damage of the Ororama Superstore between P200 to P700 million.
Ororama Megmall property is now owned by the Philippine National Bank.
The fire at Ororama Superstore in 1995 started as store workers were laying out Christmas lights near a stockpile of firecrackers inside the warehouse.
A witness said he saw sparks from the Christmas lights fell into the stockpile of firecrackers. An explosion like Wednesday's fire followed.
The ensuing fire trapped 14 workers when it spread quickly to the other sections selling textiles and appliances.
The store management had to shell out a substantial amount to indemnify their workers.(Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (October 29, 2008 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Bishops slam government corruption