A FIRE erupted in a 40-foot, 10-wheeler truck in Sitio Latasan, Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, destroying parcels weighing around 9,000 kilograms.
The estimated damage to the cargo and truck was P1 million.
Truck driver Marvin Cullat, 32, told reporters on Thursday, Aug. 15, that he had no idea what caused the fire, saying the vehicle had shown no signs of malfunction prior to the incident.
“Bigla na lang po siyang nagliyab (The truck caught fire all of a sudden),” Cullat said.
Carrying parcels for an e-commerce company, the truck arrived in Cebu on Wednesday, after departing from Meycauayan, Bulacan last Monday, Aug. 12.
Cullat said they parked the truck in Latasan around 11 a.m.
While Cullat and his co-driver were having lunch at around 2 p.m., they noticed smoke coming from the vehicle.
Flames engulfed the truck within five minutes, prompting Cullat to open the vehicle.
Cullat said they have a strict “no touch” policy regarding parcels and are unaware of the specific contents of the packages they carry. After the fire, they observed that most of the parcels contained household items, shoes, books, and other miscellaneous items.
FO2 Mark Louie Yap, a fire and arson investigator, said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
He said they are considering possibilities such as a battery explosion in one of the parcels or an overheated cellphone.
The fire alarm was raised at 2:42 p.m. Wednesday, with the blaze declared under control by 2:54 p.m.
Mandaue City Fire Supt. Arnel Abella said the fire was fully extinguished by 3:10 p.m.
The e-commerce company’s policy states that affected customers may be eligible for shipping fee refunds or vouchers, depending on the payment method used.
Cullat said he and his co-driver might be held liable for the destroyed parcels, depending on agreements with the e-commerce management.
Authorities advised parcel owners to contact the e-commerce company to determine if their packages were affected by the fire. / CAV