Fire guts commercial building in Cotabato; damage pegged at P75M

Fire broke out and razed to the ground a two-storey commercial building in Kabacan, North Cotabato on Monday morning.

According to Senior Fire Inspector Jerry Reyes of the Bureau of Fire Protection, the fire started at 6:30 a.m. at the management office of Sugni Superstore located at the building's ground floor.

“We are still investigating the cause of fire, but initially some of the employees claimed that the huge fire started at the ground floor,” he said.

No one was hurt since employees were able to gather in front of the building.

The firemen, however, had difficulty putting out the fire since some of the merchandise were combustible, helping spread the fire until it reached the second floor.

According to Reyes, it took firefighters at least six hours before the fire was put out.

“We don’t risk the lives of our firemen especially that the fire was being confined inside the establishment,” he said.

Damage was estimated to cost P75 million, Reyes said, adding that the national office of the Bureau of Fire Protection will oversee the investigation.

Firemen from Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam, Mlang, Makilala, and Kidapawan City arrived aboard firetrucks to help put out the fire. —KG, GMA News