Arson ruled out in Davao mall fire

DAVAO CITY: A special multi-agency task force investigating the Decem Commercial Center (NCCC) Mall here is ruling out arson, as strong evidence points to electrical short circuit as the cause of the blaze.

Even if arson is a remote possibility, Senior Supt. Jerry Candido, spokesman for the task force, said debris and ashes were still submitted for laboratory test.

Based on initial investigation, Candido added, electrical wirings that were taken from the scene - fested that there was an electrical short circuit.

Inspection of the affected area electrical problems.

According to Candido, something fell from the ceiling, landing on combustible items on the

“Yanpoangsinusundannatinsa imbestigasyonngayon [That is what we investigators are pursuing],” he said in a phone interview.

started in the ceiling of the third NCCC Mall.

by an electrical short circuit spreads fast immediately.

Candido said the investigating team coming from the Department of the Interior and Local Government as lead agency, Bureau of Fire Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police conducted an evaluation of the electrical installations of the NCCC Mall and the Survey Sampling International ( SSI), a call center.

He hinted at few illegal practices that caused damage to electrical installations of the NCCC Mall.

Candido said the probers are - ings because they are expecting a court battle.

The investigators will be focusing on liabilities of the people involved, including the mall and the SSI, which allegedly was found to have made lapses in complying with the Fire Code.

Naming names

Candido said the probers are careful in naming persons for now until they get testimonies of the witnesses from the mall and the SSI who were present when the incident happened.

Meanwhile, he confirmed the Supt Honee Fritz Alagano, City Fire Marshall; Inspector Renero Jimenez, Station Commander of the Talomo - safety enforcement section.

Candido said the removal of the of the recommendations of the investigating team.

He added that Alagano was sacked even if she is still new to the assignment.

Candido said Jimenez was the the SSI issued in September 2017.

Dumag is in charge of ensuring compliance with the Fire Code.

Candido said Dumag recom - cates to both establishments.

Both Jimenez and Dumag are in charge on giving orders of inspection and reviewing of accomplished inspection reports of the two inspectors.

Gist of the inspection reports for NCCC Mall and SSI hinted at no

‘[This means] they [NCCC mall - ing requirement,” Candido said.

The inspector for SSI noted that the call center has not conducted exit drills and safety lectures.

There was no such note the mall.

Both inspection reports and recommendation should be similar, according to Candido.

He said the NCCC Mall’s classification is dominantly a required to install an automatic

He added that a sprinkler system had been allegedly condemned when the SSI constructed its own

“If the sprinklers still function to of no use because these are outside of the SSI structure. The SSI is a structure within a structure.”

that the alarms of the whole NCCC and the SSI were not interconnected.

Emergency alarms

for Under the law, emergency alarms of a building should be interconnected and must be heard in every nook and corner of the building. The SSI has its own alarm. According to Candido, this explains why there were people who were trapped because activation of the SSI’s alarm came late.

This, he said, also explains a statement of a witness that they were only alarmed when smoke was already escaping through the

Candido said there were exits in the SSI but were not opened and connected.

Construction material of doors allegedly did not also comply

According to Candido, the for two hours.

Doors, he said, should be smoke-proof and heat-proof to protect the people until they can escape within two hours.

Candido, however, said the exits were also of no use because the alarm sounded late.

On January 4, the team will continue the investigation focusing more on possible liabilities of the people involved.

By Friday, Candido said the investigation should be complete.