Huge fire destroys century-old post office in Philippines

A massive fire broke out in the basement, burning down a nearly 100-year-old historic post office in the Philippine capital Manila overnight.

The fire broke out at 11pm (10pm Hanoi time) on May 21 from the basement of the Manila Central Post Office, creating a column of black smoke hundreds of metres high in the sky of the Philippine capital. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) dispatched more than 80 fire trucks to the scene.

Firefighters brought the fire under control after more than seven hours, but the important historical landmark was destroyed in the flames. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries during the firefighting effort.

Firefighters put out a fire at the Manila Central Post Office in the Philippines early on May 22. Photo: AFP

Luis Carlos, head of the post office and chief executive officer of the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost), said the fire spread quickly because the building was not equipped with fire hoses. BFP said the fire spread easily because the interior of the post office was mainly made of wood.

"The building was completely burned down. It is a historical building, but we failed to protect it," Carlos announced.

"The entire stamp library was burned down, including the country's ancient stamp collections," he added. "The building itself is a heritage site. Engineers will have to check the integrity of the building after the fire."

Authorities have opened an investigation to determine the cause and extent of the damage.

The Manila Central Post Office in the Philippine capital was engulfed in flames on the morning of May 22. Photo: Reuters

The Manila Central Post Office was first built in 1926, a five-story neoclassical building overlooking the Pasig River. It was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in 1946.

The post office was once considered "the grandest building in Manila." In 2018, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the post office an "important cultural property" of the country.

Duc Trung (According to SCMP, CNN )

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