Fire hits Robinsons Galleria

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – A fire hit Robinsons Galleria late Tuesday night, October 29, with authorities saying the third alarm was raised. 

On its Twitter account, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the fire hit the shopping mall’s department store at 11:10 pm. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. 

FIRE ALERT: Fire at Robinsons Galleria (Department store) 3rd Alarm as of 11:10PM #mmda

— Official MMDA (@MMDA) October 29, 2013

Robinsons Galleria is located in the Quezon City part of Ortigas Center, a financial and business district. 

ABS-CBN’s Bandila reported that the fire started in the toy store area on the mall’s third floor. Mall security guards, meanwhile, said the fire happened near the east wing of the department store.

At about 12:30 am, a security official at Holiday Inn said all guests have exited the building. Eyewitnesses said some people from the hotel left because of the smell from the fire. Residents of nearby condominiums said they smelled burnt plastic and rubber.

Radio DZMM also reported that barangay (village) officials recommended that guests at the Holiday Inn be evacuated because the smoke reached the hotel, and some guests had a hard time breathing. Respirators were on hand in the area. 

Officials suggested moving the guests to Crowne Plaza, also in Ortigas, according to DZMM.

Not long after – before 1 am of Wednesday, October 30 – hotel guests of Holiday Inn were already allowed to go back in.

In 2012, a pet shop on the 4th floor of Robinsons Galleria caught fire. 

Here are photos taken by the Rappler team and Roopak Nair outside the mall and the nearby Holiday Inn hotel:

– Rappler.com