Fire hits UP Diliman Faculty Center

MANILA, Philippines – Firefighters battle a blaze that gutted the Faculty Center building at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman early Friday.

The blaze reached Task Force Alpha, a level higher than the fifth alarm, sending all firetrucks to the scene an hour later.

QC Fire Dept said fire alard has reached "Task Force Alpha, a level higher than the 5th alarm. pic.twitter.com/T4mQ4KYLeX

— Tinig ng Plaridel (@tinigngplaridel) March 31, 2016

Tinig ng Plaridel, the student newspaper of the UP College of Mass Communication, said via its Twitter account that around 50 firetrucks from the Quezon City Department arrived to put out the fire.

The blaze allegedly started near the Speech Communication Department at around 1 a.m.  according to security guards, the student publication added.

“The fire is now under control but the damage is extensive,” UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan  said in a text message to Philstar.com.

It was declared under control at 4:40 a.m.

Tan said there are no casualties though the cause of fire is still “under investigation.”

“There are incalculable losses in terms of archival materials,” he added.

The Faculty Center building, also known as Bulwagang Rizal, houses most of the department offices of the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) and most of the faculty rooms of CAL, including the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. 

Classes at CAL building are suspended due to the incident.