The match between teams Terrafirma and Blackwater at the PBA Governors’ Cup game was paused for a few minutes on Thursday, the 9th of February 2023, whilst a fire was raging at a nearby building. This was the city bus terminal at the old Rustan’s Superstore along Times Square street that’s just a new meters away from the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The game saw Terrafirma leading Blackwater at 37-26 with a scant seven minutes left in the second quarter when lights fluctuated that prompted league officials to put a pause on the current match.
As of press time, there was no news if the loss of electricity was connected to the fire. The blaze which started at about 4:46 p.m. at the old bus terminal continued to get bigger getting classified as Task Force Bravo levels by 5:00 p.m. as stated by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) at the scene.
Black smoke engulfed nearby businesses as well and saw commercial establishments shutting down operations and evacuating employees and customers.
There were at least 28 fire trucks who responded to contain the fire which continued to rage on well past 7 p.m. Arson probers were still unsure what caused the fire which started at the bus terminal’s barracks.
The game between Terrafirma and Blackwater resumed but completing the day’s scheduled doubleheader might become challenging for the league if the fire worsens.
The next game between unbeaten San Miguel Beer and Meralco was slated next with an initial schedule set at 6:45 p.m. tipoff.
This wouldn’t be the first time that the PBA dealt with a fire-related incident.
The league suspended the PBA 3×3 Grand Finals while postponing Game 6 of the Governors’ Cup Finals between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco when a smaller fire occurred inside the Big Dome last April.
Safety first before anything else especially when a fire disruption is concerned. Kudos to the PBA officials for being highly alert and prioritizing to make sure it is a safe environment for the game to continue. Let us know your sentiments on this, folks! Just comment below if you’ve encountered a similar story. We always welcome your input about our pages. Cheers!
