Fire destroys 19 vehicles in Manila Airport Car Park

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MANILA, April 22: A grass fire erupted at Manila’s international airport on Monday, engulfing 19 vehicles in a car park, as confirmed by airport and fire authorities. Videos circulating on social media platforms depicted thick columns of black smoke rising into the sky. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Footage shared on social media, verified by AFP, displayed multiple vehicles ablaze in a car park located in terminal three. The scorching conditions, with the heat index expected to hit 41 degrees Celsius at the airport on Monday, likely contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, according to the state weather forecaster.

Lane Macleod, who captured one of the videos from inside the terminal, recounted the event: “It started with one car that caught fire in the car park then the rest of the vehicles followed because it was so hot.” She further explained, “We were inside the airport at that time. We just saw it from the window.”

Despite the blaze, flight operations remained unaffected, assured the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) in a statement. The MIAA reported receiving notification of the fire around 1:30 pm (0530 GMT), and firefighters managed to extinguish the flames within half an hour.

Fire Officer Kristine Germino stated that the cause of the grass fire remains unknown at this time. The months of March, April, and May typically experience the hottest and driest conditions in the Philippines, exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon. The country’s heat index, which considers humidity in addition to temperature, recorded nearly 37 degrees Celsius in the capital by mid-afternoon.

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