Cars catch fire at NAIA parking lot

Several vehicles at the extension parking area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 caught fire on Monday.

According to Nimfa Ravelo’s report on Super Radyo dzBB, the Pasay Fire Bureau said they were still looking for the cause of the fire.

Authorities are also checking if anyone was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Eric Ines said that around 19 cars were affected.

He also clarified that the MIAA owned the property where the parking area was located, but it was being leased.

“Palagay namin aksidente. Hindi siguro sinadya ito. Mabilis lang talaga kahit anong tingin mo nakakatakot talaga magsindi ka lang ng konti ang bilis,” said Ines in Mark Salazar’s “24 Oras” report.

(We think it is just an accident. The fire just spread quickly.)

“Di namin alam kung sino-sino mga may-ari. Ipapatawag namin kung sino in charge dito. Halo-halo na. 'Yung isa empleyado daw pero yung iba di namin alam. Baka nga di nila alam hanggang ngayon na nasunog,” he added.

(We don’t know the car owners. We will ask the people in charge of the parking lot. The owners are a mix of people. One of them is said to be an airport employee. We have no idea about the others. They may not even know about the fire.)

Ines also said they would coordinate with the private concessionaire running the pay-per-parking to determine the assistance the firm will extend to the affected car owners.

“Well, I cannot tell that we will have to ask them legally kung ano ang ano nila. Ang importante is how we can avoid ang mga ganitong klaseng sitwasyon because very dry ang season natin ngayon. Susceptible to fire,” he said.

(I cannot tell and we’ll have to ask them legally what their assistance will be. What’s important is to prevent a repeat of the situation.)

In the meantime, the MIAA would deploy a fire truck in the parking lot until the fire-gutted cars were all towed away. 

The fire did not affect the operations at any NAIA terminals.

The fire came amid the dangerous heat index levels in some parts of the country. PAGASA said that the heat index in some areas may rise to 42°C to 45°C. — DVM, GMA Integrated News