Faulty wiring eyed in BI fire

Investigators handling the fire that hit the Bureau of Immigration (BI) head office in Intramuros, Manila on Saturday morning are eyeing faulty electric wiring as the possible cause of the blaze.

Manila Fire District marshal Superintendent Pablito Cordeta said that although they have yet to finish the investigation on the fire that gutted some 30 percent of the four-story building, there were signs that it was caused by faulty wiring.

Witnesses all pointed to the ceiling of the kitchen of the office of Executive Director Roy Almoro as the origin of the fire.

Cordeta stressed that no signs of arson or intentional burning of the building have yet been monitored by investigators. However, he said further probe would be conducted to verify the initial report and determine the extent of the damage.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. already gave an assurance that no important documents were destroyed in the incident. Only the ceiling of his office and wooden furnitures were damaged by the two-hour fire.

He said the bureau would be open to the public today, but several adjustments would have to be made. Some offices at the second floor of the building, including the visa extension office, would be moved to the ground floor to give way to the reconstruction of the damaged rooms.