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Friday 19 of April 2024

The Latest: Official says 37 feared dead in Philippine mall


Firemen battle a fire that rages at a shopping mall, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, in Davao city, southern Philippines. The fire which still raging for hours now have trapped an undetermined number of people, fire officials said. (AP Photo/Manman Dejeto),Firemen battle a fire that rages at a shopping mall, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, in Davao city, southern Philippines. The fire which still raging for hours now have trapped an undetermined number of people, fire officials said. (AP Photo/Manman Dejeto)
Firemen battle a fire that rages at a shopping mall, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, in Davao city, southern Philippines. The fire which still raging for hours now have trapped an undetermined number of people, fire officials said. (AP Photo/Manman Dejeto),Firemen battle a fire that rages at a shopping mall, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, in Davao city, southern Philippines. The fire which still raging for hours now have trapped an undetermined number of people, fire officials said. (AP Photo/Manman Dejeto)
A Philippine official says firefighters have recovered one body from a burning shopping mall and there is "zero" chances of survival for 36 other people trapped inside the four-story building in southern Davao city. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Sunday firefighters told distraught relatives of the 36 trapped employees of a business outsourcing company at the top floor of the NCCC Mall that nobody could survive the extreme heat and thick black smoke in the building.

DAVAO, Philippines (AP) — The Latest on the fire in the shopping mall in the southern Philippine city of Davao (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

A Philippine official says firefighters have recovered one body from a burning shopping mall and there is “zero” chances of survival for 36 other people trapped inside the four-story building in southern Davao city.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said Sunday firefighters told distraught relatives of the 36 trapped employees of a business outsourcing company at the top floor of the NCCC Mall that nobody could survive the extreme heat and thick black smoke in the building.

It is unclear when firefighters can break into most areas of the mall, where the blaze was put under control Sunday morning although smoke continued to billow from the popular shopping venue.

Duterte-Carpio says firefighters won’t stop until they find all those reported missing.