[ad_1]
The Manila Central Post Office, one of the most historic buildings in the Philippine capital, was completely destroyed by fire overnight, officials said Monday morning.
The shell of the neo-Classic style structure, built in 1926, is still standing. But Postmaster General Luis Carlos said the building had been damaged, “from the basement to the ground floor to the fifth floor.”
“The structure is still there, but the ceiling has fallen,” Mr. Carlos told reporters.
Fire officials said they are trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which started in the basement on Sunday. At least one person was injured in the fire, investigators said.
The post office, located on the banks of the Pasig River near Manila Bay, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. Designed by two Filipino architects, Juan Arellano and Tomás Mapúa, it was partially destroyed during the Battle of Manila during World War II but was restored in 1946.
The facility is a mail distribution center in the capital. Mr Carlos said it was unclear how many parcels and letters were missing. Among the many items that are believed to have been destroyed in the fire is a famous work of art that is being copied for stamps, Mr. Carlos said.
A historian, Manuel L. Quezon III, whose grandfather was the Philippines’ president-in-exile when Japan occupied the country during World War II, said the fire was just the latest blow to Manila’s architectural heritage. He said many of the buildings that survived the war had not been properly restored.
Mr. Quezon suggested that the shell of the post office be preserved and used for the additional space of the National Museum of the Philippines.
“The post office has been a white elephant for decades,” he said. “But the strong shell can be salvaged and rebuilt for the National Museum.”
[ad_2]
Source link