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The fire in popular shopping destination Tutuban Mall in Divisoria, Manila was declared under control Thursday morning.
Fire Officer 2 Wilson Bautista of the BFP's Leo Base told Yahoo! Southeast Asia that the fire was under control as of 10:10 a.m., although firefighting operations are still ongoing.
The fire, which started before dawn Wednesday, may last until the weekend because of flammable materials in the mall, the BFP said.
Fire Officer 1 Cherry Arejola of BFP-National Capital Region said the fire has been classified as Task Force Delta since late Wednesday afternoon and has required round-the-clock deployment of firefighters. Firetrucks from Manila and nearby cities have been deployed to Tutuban. Had the fire reached general alarm, all firetrucks in NCR would have been deployed, she said.
Arejola, citing reports from firefighters on the scene, said the fire started at the stall C-18 on the mall's ground floor but that investigation into what caused the fire will have to wait until it is put out.
Operations have been hampered by thick smoke and the lack of breathing apparatus to help firefighters deal with the smoke.
The Philippines vowed Thursday to fight China "to the last man standing", as a Chinese warship patrolled around a remote reef occupied by a handful of Filipino marines in disputed waters.
