‘The worst nightmare of my life’

VALSTER HUERA, an SSI call center agent, recounted how he survived the

Huera said on Saturday morning, December 23, they were happily taking calls because their shift was almost over.

the holiday celebrations so everyone minutes before 10 a.m., we smelled something like plastic burning and the strong stench of toxic fumes. Seconds later, smoke started coming out from

a few seconds the smoke started to get very heavy and the room turned very the call center agent said.

enough I was able to get my bag from my locker even as my hands were shak

recalled, there was already a big crowd and it was so hot inside.

Huera said he heard someone shouting,

He added that they slowly moved back inside but as they approached the atten exit came rushing toward them and said the exit was also not passable.

people shouting and crying as the lights went out, then light bulbs started exploding and smoke was already very thick. The whole place had become very dark

were still trapped inside the locker area. I thought I was going to die because I

Huera noted that sprinklers did not work so someone who found water started throwing it in the air.

immediately turned into black ash

At this point, according to Huera, they had no choice so they went back

He himself had no idea where to go as everyone was panicking and running for safety.

and shouting to go to the lobby area exit towards the mall’s theater so I ran

He also recalled that the smoke on the stairs there were still visible.

As he was rushing down the stairs, the food court where he safely made his way out.

- ried home and started crying really hard when I got there. I had colds then so the mucus and the saliva I was spitting were

Huera said he can just imagine how heavy the smoke was especially for the people trapped inside the mall.

was no chance of survival for a lot of people still trapped in our facility after the rescue operations that took place

Huera said the people trapped inside were his friends, supervisors, colleagues and all the people he used to see on

life. Until now the scene from the lock