Amid the demolition of the burnt NCCC Mall, a fire broke out Friday, May 25, morning from the debris of the styrofoam and trash in the shopping center.
In the statement of NCCC Mall, the incident occurred while doing works in line with the flattening of the shopping center. The mall’s contractor for the demolition, D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI), immediately called the Bureau of Fire and Protection to keep it under control.
“At 10 a.m., fire broke out from the debris of styrofoam and trash while cutting torches (that) were operating above them. Fire was contained in 20 minutes with the help of the local Fire Department, 911, and Davao fire volunteers,” said demolition site engineer Leonard Gabilo in a statement.
Gabilo said no personnel were injured and the demolition operations resumed thereafter. He said they would ensure that the safety of the workers, surrounding areas and neighboring community would be taken into primary consideration.
The mall, with total building floor area of 60,568 square meters, is now being demolished as it was gutted following the fire incident on Dec. 23 last year that killed 38 persons, including 37 employees of the market research firm Survey Sampling International and a mall security officer who rescued 783 people from the mall.
The management of NCCC Mall started to demolish the mall on May 19. Its contractor, DMCI, targeted to complete the demolition in a span of four months.
“After the demolition, the management decided to build another mall in the site,” said Thea Padua, spokesperson and public relations manager of NCCC.
The mall management was granted the demolition permit from the Office of the Building Official (OCBO) on Feb. 20, after paying the fee of P187,854. It cited 30 days for the demolition, with the provision that it “be undertaken only after the building has been vacated and all utility lines such as electric, gas, telephone and water installations have been disconnected.”
The demolition should also be compliant with the rules of the National Building Code to ensure safety for the workers and prevent damage to other infrastructures near the mall. The management of the mall also established a temporary fence when it gained a fencing permit from the OCBO in January. (KMF)
