Makati gov't OKs reopening of Glorietta 1, 3, 4

The Makati City government gave its consent Thursday for the Glorietta shopping complex to open its doors to customers, but kept the Glorietta 2 area shut pending investigations into the explosion that left 11 people dead and over 100 others injured. GMA News Flash Report said the Makati City government gave its consent at 9:45 a.m. for Glorietta 1, 3 and 4 to resume operations. "We are satisfied with what we saw," Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay told GMA News shortly after inspecting the site. The report said Binay was accompanied by members of the Makati police as well as executives of mall owner Ayala Land Inc. Earlier in the day, Binay said some people who have been visiting or staying near the blast site were suffering from eye irritation. Radio dzBB reported that bomb technicians were also suffering from diarrhea and dizziness. Binay said traces of hydrogen sulfide, a potentially deadly chemical, were detected in the area. "If it can assure us no toxic chemicals can enter or affect the other Glorietta malls; and if air and water in the other malls are clean, we'll allow the three malls to reopen. A third condition on structural integrity has already been met," he said in Filipino on dzBB radio. However, Ayala Land officials provided Binay a copy of the certification it obtained from the Occupational Safety and Health Center that the air inside Glorietta was harmless, the report said. During the inspection, they also showed Glorietta's indoor air quality measuring equipment to allay the Binay's fears that chemicals or gases may "seep" from the blast site. The equipment is meant to measure hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide levels in the air. While agreeing to reopen the mall area, Binay said that he will still push for an independent investigation into the blast. Police officials earlier reported that their investigation has so far showed that the explosion was a chemical reaction of methane gas and diesel. Ayala Land on Wednesday said the methane angle was unlikely even as it insisted that its equipment at the mall basement – where the explosion apparently emanated – were in order. - GMANews.TV