Weakened sprinkler joints blamed for Cebu City cinema ceiling collapse

Weakened threaded joints in the sprinkler system may have caused part of the ceiling of a mall cinema in Cebu City to collapse earlier this month.

 

This was the assessment of a third-party auditor that probed the incident, GMA Cebu's Lou-Anne Mae Rondina reported Thursday.

 

Nine people were injured in the June 15 incident at Cinema 5, Ayala Center Cebu's newest cinema.

 

Ayala Center Cebu has submitted its report on the incident, which also prompted it to suspend Cinema 5's operation.

 

Mall management initially said the sprinkler system may have caused the collapse, but Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak said their initial findings suggested accumulated water from the air-conditioning system may have caused part of the ceiling to collapse.

 

Investigation by the third-party auditor showed the collapse was due to weakening threaded joints in a branch line of the sprinkler system.

 

Last week, the cinema had been subjected to several tests including tests for hydro, tensile, flood, plumbing, structural integrity, fire detection alarm system, and rehabilitation plan.

 

Meanwhile, architect Florante Catalan of the city's Office of the Building Official, said another meeting will be called with officials of Ayala Center Cebu.

 

The upcoming meeting will focus on the mall's renovation plan.

 

Mayor Michael Rama had ordered an inspection of movie houses in the city as authorities sought ways to prevent a repeat of the incident.

 

GMA News sought the mall's management for comment but has yet to get a statement from it. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News