ILOILO CITY – At least P6-million worth of jewelry have been recovered by Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) investigators while conducting an in-depth probe of the June 20 fire that hit the Gaisano Grand Mall in Antique.
“We found the jewelry during our final post-fire scene assessment and investigation,” said Fire Supt. Romeo “Jun” Pepito Jr. of the Fire Investigation Group of BFP national headquarters in Manila.
The 1,958 pieces of jewelry were all accounted for and returned to its owner here.
“The owner and sales representatives thought that the items were all gone and damaged by the fire,” Pepito said Monday, July 5. “Not a single piece missing,” added Pepito.
The BFP team from Manila flew to San Jose de Buenavista, the provincial capital of Antique, to conduct the probe.
Fire Supt. Randy Pudadera, BFP-Antique chief, had earlier said that its national headquarters is conducting the investigation as monetary damage from mall tenants reached an estimated P833 million.
“We do not have the final computation yet as we need the costing from all tenants,” Pepito noted.
The BFP team from Manila took samples of ash and fire debris, including some electrical components. “It will undergo forensic and laboratory analysis,” Pepito added.
The final report of the fire investigation may be released in a month or so.