Star City Fire Investigations Lean Towards Arson
STAR CITY – The investigations on the fire that engulfed the popular amusement park has been leaning towards the possibility of arson according to authorities.
Star City caught fire on Wednesday, October 2. The flames caused around P1 billion worth of property damage according to investigations.
The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) was also hit due to the flames. The MBC houses popular radio stations like Love Radio, DZRH, Yes the Best! and Easy Rock.
According to a report from ABS-CBN, the evidence found during investigations point towards arson. Fire Marshal Pauli Pili highlighted that “gasoline in an area where it should not be”.
Based on a previous article, the amusement park was closed as the blaze ripped through one of the compounds. It was around 12:22 a.m. when the fire started.
Pili stated that a tenant, “Mr. Wong” along with an unlogged personnel, went into the complex with sacks of cotton the day the fire broke out. He added that the way the fire spread indicated it was arson.
Pili questioned why Mr. Wong logged in the log-book but didn’t write down his companion. As per the report, Pili was asked if there was a possibility that the officers of Star City may have set the fire.
The fire marshall then answered affirmatively with a resounding yes. However, Pili emphasized that the authorities have yet to obtain testimonies from the park owners.
Star City Corporation officers are to be summoned to present financial documents. This is because the amusement park’s safety-inspection certificate expires October this year.
Therefore, if a third party had caused the fire, Star City would still be covered by Insurance. Pili then added that they would look into the financial statements to see if the self-arson angle is plausible.
However, the amusement park’s management disputed Pili’s statements. According to them, they had no reason to set the amusement park on fire because business was good, especially during the Christmas season.
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