The fire operations has been ongoing for 20 hours as of 5:30 p.m. today—Saturday, January 6. Task Force Bravo alarm has been raised as all the fire trucks in Lapu-Lapu City, neighboring towns, and cities were asked to respond.
The fire started at 9:30 p.m. Friday night, January 5, when smoke was detected at the third floor of the toys stockroom of the mall. The Metro Ayala and Ayala Center Cebu Emergency Brigade Teams are closely working with the Bureau of Fire and other emergency response teams to manage the situation. All customers and personnel were safely evacuated; thus there are no casualties and serious injuries reported.
Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Chief Nagiel Bañacia said, “For those who have respiratory problems in Barangays: Kamputhaw, Luz, Hipodromo, Mabolo and Lahug, please visit your health center. These centers are now open manned by personnel from City Health Department led by Dra. Alice Aycardo. City Health personnels are also roaming around these barangays to check on possible health concerns. City Ambulance Service is on standby to assist.”
On his Facebook account, Bañacia posted, “#Heartwarming Hotels near Metro Gaisano Ayala are giving us (responders) free-more-food-and-water. A million thanks to Golden Prince Hotel. I received calls of support. Some just dropped the food packs at our Incident Command Post at ground floor of Ayala terminal. Since last night, Metro Ayala management bombarded our responders with unending food and water supplies. Thank you, Mr. Jack Gaisano. You made our job easier”.
As of this time, the firefighters are still working on putting off the fire. Hence, the management of Metro Gaisano would like to “thank everyone, the firefighters, the volunteers, the government personnels, its employees, concerned citizens, and all those who have helped and assisted in putting off the fire,” he said in a statement.
Haze alert has been raised over Cebu Business Park due to the fire that broke out in Metro Ayala Center Cebu. Bañacia added that as of 3 a.m. Saturday, the fourth floor of the Metro Ayala building has collapsed and that it may take two days to completely control the blaze.
Photo Credit: Nagiel Bañacia
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