Divisoria mall raided over 'fireworks tiangge'

The Manila police raided a shopping mall at the busy Divisoria business district on a rainy Thursday morning after fire officials found vendors selling firecrackers at its basement. Radio dzBB said the Binondo police launched the operation after the Bureau of Fire Protection declared the mall basement to be a "fire trap." The incident occurred amid a government campaign to stamp out firecrackers by 2010. Senior Superintendent Pablito Cordeta, Manila fire marshal, said the volume of firecrackers being retailed surprised the inspection team. He said the area also lacked fire exits. Manila policemen were seizing the firecrackers as of posting time, the radio report said. Cordeta warned that if the vendors were allowed to continue retailing the firecrackers there, an incident similar to the October 19 Glorietta 2 shopping mall blast may happen. Investigators looking into the Glorietta incident had said a buildup of gases at the basement likely caused the deadly explosion. The incident left 11 people dead and over 100 injured. Mall patrons in the Philippines usually come in droves as the Christmas shopping season approaches. - GMANews.TV