Atom Araullo shares throwback video of Manila Central Post Office interior before fire

Atom Araullo joined the list of people online lamenting the fire that engulfed the Manila Central Post Office.

On Instagram, Monday, the award-winning broadcast journalist posted a throwback video of the building's interior to show what it looked like to netizens who may not have the chance to visit.

"My heart breaks for the Manila Central Post Office. The iconic neoclassical building, which survived the devastation of World War 2, is a national treasure," Atom wrote in the caption.

"People might be familiar with its glorious facade, but here's a rare look inside the mail sorting area, taken [three] months ago. Hopefully we'll see this structure rise from the ashes again."

The video showed the post office's wooden floors, large windows, and pigeonhole shelves containing letters and documents. There was also a cat napping inside as employees worked on their desks.

In the comments, Ryan Agoncillo expressed hope that this would not be the last video of the building interior.

"It survived the battle of manila, it can survive this!" Atom replied.

According to Darlene Cay's report on Unang Balita, the fire hit the Manila Central Post Office late Sunday night. It reached first alarm at 11:41 pm and eventually got raised to the highest alarm.

The fire was declared under control at 7:22 a.m. on Monday.

As of 1:48 p.m., seven people were hurt and the Bureau of Fire Protection estimated the damage to be around P300 million.

The Manila Central Post Office was designed by Juan Arellano and constructed in 1926.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News