MANILA, Philippines— Firefighters finally put out the massive fire that hit a mall in General Santos City after an earthquake on Wednesday.
According to General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, the Bureau of Fire Protection declared “fire out” at the Gaisano Mall around 1 p.m.
It took 18 hours for the BFP and fire volunteers to put out the flames in Gaisano Mall, ignited by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake.
The quake’s epicenter was recorded North Cotabato but it jolted several parts of Mindanao. General Santos City felt the tremor at Intensity IV (Moderately Strong).
The BFP reportedly declared a General Alarm after the blaze reached the second and third floors of the mall.
On behalf of the city of General Santos, Rivera thanked firefighters from BFP and other rescue and fire volunteers from private companies, nearby cities and municipalities for their dedication and heroism.
“This act of kindness and friendship amidst this recent tragedy will be forever remembered by Gensan and its constituents,” the mayor said.
The mayor took the powerful quake as a reminder to improve the city's disaster preparedness and resiliency against natural and man-made calamities.
“Rest assured that the local government unit of General Santos City, together with its partner agencies, is doing its best to address these issues,” Rivera said.
“We are also encouraging business establishments to improve and update their building plans to ensure its structural integrity and stability, and strengthen their disaster preparedness plans for the safety and security of their personnel,” he added.