Manila: Huge fire guts historic post office building
May 22, 2023
A massive fire tore through the historic post office building in the Philippine capital Manila overnight, slightly injuring one person, officials said Monday.
One firefighter was hurt in the blaze that began just before midnight from the basement of the Manila Central Post Office building, which was built 97 years ago.
More than 80 fire trucks were sent to the landmark to tackle the flames, which took more than eight hours to put out, the Bureau of Fire Protection said.
"The whole building has burned down from the basement all the way to the fifth floor," Postmaster General Luis Carlos told DZBB radio.
As well as gutting the iconic building, the blaze destroyed all letters, parcels and records stored inside, officials said.
No sprinklers in landmark building
Carlos added that the fire spread quickly as the iconic building was not equipped with sprinklers.
"The whole library of stamps had been burned out," Carlos said, including the country's collection of commemorative and antique stamps.
"The whole structure itself is important because it is a heritage site. We have to look for a structural engineer to check the integrity of the building," he said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but paper materials were stored in the basement, and some structures were made from wood.
An investigation was underway to determine the exact cause and what was damaged.
The Manila Central Post Office building was declared a national landmark in 2018.
Nearly 100 years old
It was built in 1926 but was severely damaged during World War II when US forces recaptured the capital from Japanese occupation forces. It was rebuilt in 1946.
The building's popular facade features 14 huge pillars in the traditional neoclassical style, lined up above steps that lead to the lobby. Each end of the rectangular building has semi-circular halls.
The post office was one of the capital's busiest office buildings and was the country's main mail-sorting and distribution hub.
mm/nm (AFP, AP, dpa)