Estrada has near miss

Estrada has near miss

MANILA (AP): A chandelier that crashed near President Joseph
Estrada on his first day in office had not been inspected for
nearly a quarter-century and fell by accident, an official said
yesterday.

A local company said the chandeliers at Manila's Malacanang
Palace had not undergone any safety inspection since it installed
the lights in 1975 at the height of strongman Ferdinand Marcos'
martial law rule, Press Undersecretary Icasiano Gutierrez said.

"It was neither a case of bad luck nor the threat of sabotage
but an accident waiting to happen," Gutierrez said in a
statement.

A government investigation has concluded that the chandelier
was simply too old and brittle and gave in to its weight, he
added.