Divisoria mall fire still burns

MANILA, Philippines - The fire inside the Divisoria Mall in Manila will last three to four more days, the Bureau of Fire Protection said Friday.

Senior Superintendent Aderson Comar, BFP-National Captial Region assistant regional director for operations, said firefighters are still waiting for the blaze inside the mall's basement, where the food court is located, to fizzle out or subside before going in to clear the debris.

"Medyo mainit lang sa loob so hindi natin mapasok so ngayon ang diskarte natin ubusin na lang natin yung laman sa loob. Maubos na yung masunog tapos palamigin natin saka natin papasukin," Comar said.

He said many of the steel gates inside the mall are still padlocked, which makes it difficult for the firemen to enter the burning mall.

The fire official said that there are a total of 30 firetrucks and around 150 firefighters and volunteers deployed in the area and as of Friday afternoon, they were continuously pumping water into the mall.

He said he expects firemen to enter the mall by Saturday.

"Subukan natin bukas kung maapula itong portion by portion. Ang pasok natin portion by portion lang kasi malawak ito e. more or less 5,000 square meters ito yung area. So portion by portion na lang natin... kung saan yung medyo kaya ng pasukin ng mga bumbero doon tayo para sa overhauling process," Comar added.

The fire at the mall broked out early Thursday and it has been burning for more than 30 hours. The fire spread after a liquified petroleum gas exploded in one of the food stall in the building's basement.