Fire-hit Caloocan mall ordered closed

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has ordered the temporary closure of a mall in the city after Monday morning's fire incident there, a TV report said.

A report on QRT said the Victory Mall was ordered closed for the meantime despite the containment of smoke from its mezzanine, where the fire began at past 9 a.m., to give way to the ongoing investigation.

The fire was declared under control by the Bureau of Fire Protection at 4:50 p.m., a tweet from radio dzBB said.

However, the QRT report said there was still a possibility for the smoke to go up the second floor as there was an opening at the escalator area.

Ipinag-utos ni Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan na pansamantalang isasara muna ang Victory Mall habang patuloy ang imbestigasyon. | @glenjuego

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 4, 2015

The QRT report quoted Malapitan as saying that there was a possibility that the fire may have compromised the structural integrity of the building, given that it lasted for a few hours.

Initial investigation showed that faulty electrical wiring started the fire at a clothing store on the mezzanine, but BFP-National Capital Region assistant director Crispo Diaz also pointed out that the mall did not have sprinklers, the report added.

For its part, the owner of the mall said the building was properly maintained and regularly checked, the report also said.

Diaz said they do not have the total cost of damage yet, but estimated it at around P50 million. —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News