PJ suspects of arson in Inner Harbor apartment fire

The Judiciary Police (PJ) are investigating a suspicious fire that broke out at an apartment building in the Inner Harbor on Friday, January 17, as a potential case of arson.

According to a statement from the PJ, the reporting center received a notification about a suspected arson incident at 3:05 p.m. on Friday.

The Fire Services Bureau (CB) had responded to a fire alarm at a residential unit in the Inner Harbor around 1:52 p.m. that day and notified the PJ that the cause of the fire was not clear and was deemed suspicious.

After investigating the scene, the PJ found that many electrical appliances and furniture in the living room of the affected unit had burned, causing an estimated MOP400,000 in damage. No one was injured or needed assistance during the incident.

The PJ has now taken over the case and is investigating it. The blaze prompted the evacuation of 23 residents from the Rua do Almirante Sergio apartment building, and residents living in the surrounding buildings captured it on video.

In a separate incident on Sunday, a fire on the ground floor of a building in Pátio de São Paulo next to the Ruins of Saint Paul’s also prompted an evacuation of residents. Ten people were forced to leave their homes, but there were no reports of injuries. The CB said that the causes of this fire are also being investigated. Victoria Chan