“Electrical overload” causes fire at Mactan Airport

CEBU, Philippines - A fire hit Mactan-Cebu International Airport yesterday afternoon, damaging at least P1 million worth of property.

Around 300 arriving passengers were also held for at least 30 minutes before they were allowed to deplane due to the firefighting operation at the arrival area.

An ‘electrical overloading’ in the air handling unit, which regulates air inside the terminal building, was initially identified as the cause of the fire.  

The air handling unit was placed between the domestic and international arrival areas. 

Senior Fire Officer 4 Diomed Alburo, of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Department, said the incident may have been caused by “electrical overloading.”

“Naay kayo, mao bitaw to niaso. Di kaayo dako kay pag-discover na-confine man dayon. Nidako lang ang aso kay confined area siya then gidala tanang aso sa aircon ducts,” Alburo said.

Alburo said the seven-foot panel board that caught fire was supposed to supply power only to a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) device but it was made to handle another load from an air-conditioning unit.

The fire department received the alarm at 1:57 p.m. and the fire was put out at 2:25 p.m.

Estee Marie Plunket, corporate communications manager of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation, said the incident did not affect the outbound flights.

“Walay disrupted flights, fortunately, ang tanan departing flights, business as usual, ang na-hold lang for a bit kay mga people who are arriving kay diri man sa arrival flights ang problem,” Plunket said.

Plunket said they immediately requested the passengers near the check-in counter to vacate and proceed to pre-terminal area.

She said the evacuation was done orderly by the airport staff and security personnel.

Phuitin Kong, 35, a tri-athlete from Malaysia who was among the arriving passengers held inside the plane, lauded the airport management for handling the situation very well.

“They handled the situation very well,” Kong said.

Plunket said the airport management will issue another statement as soon as the investigation is done.  She, however, said that the air handling unit that caught fire had been regularly checked by the airport engineers. —/FPL (FREEMAN)