CEBU CITY, July 31 (PNA) — The Police Regional Office (PRO)- Region 7 has downplayed the fire which hit the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) Thursday afternoon.
Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Banas, PRO 7 director, said even President Benigno C. Aquino III and Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ricardo Marquez have expressed concern over the incident because of the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit senior ministerial meetings to be held in Cebu later in August and September.
Some 3,200 foreign delegates are expected to arrive in Cebu for the APEC meetings.
But Banas said the incident was an isolated case and was caused simply by a power overload.
Smoke filled the arrival area of the MCIA at 1:40 p.m. Thursday and reached the check-in counters in the departure terminal.
Some 300 passengers waited longer than usual inside their airplanes and departing passengers were guided away from the check-in area after a smoke alarm went off.
But nobody was harmed, and no outbound flight was delayed, said Estee Marie Plunket, head of corporate affairs of the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp (GMCAC).
Senior Fire Officer 4 Diomed Alburo of the Lapu-Lapu City Fire District said a panel board inside a closed room on the ground floor caught fire because of an overloaded electrical circuit.
But it was only a small fire which they put out quickly, he said. Damage was placed at PHP1 million. (PNA)