Joint SAR Team Evacuates One Fatality from Manado Megamall Fire

A joint SAR team has successfully evacuated one fatality from the fire that engulfed the Megamall building in the Megamas area, Wenang Selatan sub-district, Wenang district, Manado City.

“The victim is known as Priscillia Tamawiwy, 34 years old, female, residing in GPI Paniki Housing, Manado,” said the Head of Public Relations for the North Sulawesi (Sulut) National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Nuriadin Gumeleng, in Manado, Sunday (17/5).

Nuriadin explained that the rescue operation began on Saturday night. After receiving a report of the incident, the Manado Search and Rescue Office immediately dispatched the USS Manado Rescue Team at 21:10 WITA to carry out initial evacuation measures at the fire location.

The search effort inside the burning building yielded results in the early hours. At 00:15 WITA, the rescue team found the victim in Room 2 on the 6th floor of the Megamall building. The victim was found deceased. Officers immediately evacuated the victim’s body and took it to Bhayangkara Hospital of the North Sulawesi Police for further medical treatment.

After all search and evacuation processes were confirmed complete, the joint SAR team held a debriefing at 01:30 WITA. With the discovery of the victim, the SAR operation was officially terminated and proposed to be closed. All personnel involved were then returned to their respective units.

This evacuation operation involved many agencies and security elements, including the USS Manado Rescue Team, the Manado SAR Office Rescue Team, the Manado City Fire Department, the North Sulawesi Provincial Fire Department, the Manado Police, the Wenang Babinsa (Military Unit), the Manado City General Hospital, and the Bhayangkara Hospital of the North Sulawesi Police.

A number of heavy equipment and medical supplies were also deployed to support the smooth evacuation, such as a Type 2 Rescue Car, a fleet of fire trucks, ambulances from the Manado City General Hospital and Bhayangkara Hospital, as well as other communication, medical, and evacuation equipment.

The Head of North Sulawesi Basarnas, George Mercy Randang, expressed deep appreciation for the synergy of all parties who moved quickly in handling this fire disaster.

“We thank all SAR elements involved in the search, evacuation, and handling of the fire incident,” said George. (Ant/Z-2)