NAIA fire probe looking at 2 vehicles

The investigation as to the cause of the recent parking lot fire at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 is looking at two cars that were near the spot where the blaze started.

According to a 24 Oras report by Joseph Morong, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said investigators are focusing on the said two vehicles based on a statement from a witness who claimed that the fire began near a gray car and a black sports utility vehicle.

“Sa initial is lumalabas is it’s between, sa dalawa lang. Wala namang ganun allegation na may sumabog. Ang napansin ng guard may umuusok then halos meron nang apoy,” said BFP Arson Investigation Division chief Fire Superintendent Bayani Zambrano.

(The initial investigation shows that it’s between the two vehicles. There are no allegations of an explosion. What the guard noticed was something was smoking followed by fire.)

“Unless otherwise, may ignition source. Either it was natural or meron, sabihin natin na nagkaroon ng problema sa two vehicles… Dun ang ifofocus natin,” he added.

(Unless otherwise, there was an ignition source. Either it was natural or there is, shall we say a problem between the two vehicles… That’s what we’ll focus on)

The BFP is still identifying the owner of the two vehicles and is studying if a possible case could be filed against the concessionaire in charge of the parking lot.

“Sa part naman ng mga sasakyan, without any human intervention ng may-ari, hindi mo naman masabi na kasalanan niya unless may ginawa siyang mali,” Zambrano said.

(On the part of the vehicle owners, without human intervention, you can’t really say that they’re at fault unless they did something wrong)

Eleven of the 19 burned car owners have approached the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) following the incident.

The BFP advised the public not to leave any combustible items inside cars such as aerosols or gadgets like power banks.

Water bottles also pose a hazard since it could act as a magnifying lens that could start a fire.

For extended parking, BFP advised the public to disconnect car batteries, avoid flammable areas such as trash or dry grass and to park in shaded areas as much as possible. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News