MANILA, Philippines — A fire that broke out on Friday night destroyed nearly the entire Pritil public market in Tondo, Manila and at least P110 million worth of property and merchandise.
The blaze started before 10:45 p.m. and quickly reached fourth alarm at 11:14 p.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported.
Explosions were heard as flames spread through the market.
After over five hours, the BFP declared the fire under control at 3:46 a.m. yesterday. The fire was put out at 7:58 a.m.
One person was rushed to the hospital while another was treated at the scene by Philippine Red Cross personnel, who also helped put out the fire. The BFP did not confirm the PRC’s report.
The BFP said the fire, which destroyed around 600 stalls, may have started at the market’s meat section on the ground floor.
The new building of the Pritil public market was erected during the administration of former Manila mayor Joseph Estrada as part of his program to redevelop the city’s public markets despite opposition from vendors.