PBA game temporarily stopped as fire breaks out near Araneta Coliseum

FILE–Facade of the Arantea Coliseum. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The PBA Governors’ Cup game between Terrafirma and Blackwater was halted for a few minutes on Thursday amid a fire breaking out within the vicinity of Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Terrafirma was leading Blackwater, 37-26, with over seven minutes left in the second quarter when the lights suddenly fluctuated, prompting league officials to call for a stoppage of play.

No word if the loss of electricity is related to the blaze located at the old bus station which is a few blocks away from the Big Dome.

A huge smoke can be seen outside of the playing venue, as per social media posts and other news accounts.

Both teams have since resumed their match, but completing the scheduled doubleheader could be challenging for the league if the incident worsens.

Unbeaten San Miguel Beer and Meralco are slated to face off in the nightcap originally set for a 6:45 p.m. tipoff.

It’s not the first time that the PBA has been dealing with a fire-related incident.

Last April, the league suspended the PBA 3×3 Grand Finals while postponing Game 6 of the Governors’ Cup Finals between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco after a smaller fire occurred inside the Big Dome.