Philippines: Tondo fire razes cement factory

Some PHP1m worth of properties went up in smoke during a 14-hour fire that struck a cement factory compound at the Manila Harbour Centre in Tondo, Manila last Monday afternoon.

Firefighters valiantly fought the fire, which started at 12:58 p.m., Monday, for almost 15 hours as it gobbled up a pile of some 7,000 old vehicular tyres stored at the Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) compound inside the Manila Harbour Centre at the North Harbor in Tondo.

“It was very difficult because the area is full of combustible material and the smoke billowing from the compound was thick that made it impossible for several firefighters to be able to get inside the factory immediately,” said arson investigator FO2 Lords Hernandez of the Manila Fire Bureau.

Hernandez said the blaze, which reached the fourth alarm, partially burned a portion of the TCC factory, which is currently being used by the Solid Cement Corporation.

Nobody was reported hurt in the blaze and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to the fire officer.

“The smoke from the burning tyres caused more damage to the factory than the actual fire,” the arson investigator stressed.

The blaze, destroyed properties worth PHP1m.