Over hundreds of people have been evacuated after a huge blaze broke out at a shopping centre in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad.
The fire erupted at the Centaurus mall, which is located in the heart of the city, on Sunday, sending huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the building.
Crowds of terrified shoppers were seen running down escalators to escape in scenes of panic have also been shared via social media.
The Police in Islamabad said that rescue teams have pulled out people who are trapped in the mall via a back entrance before carrying out a search operation inside the building.
Meanwhile, a helicopter crew was also dispatched to help the rescue efforts and stop the flames from spreading to other floors of the building.
Everyone inside has now been brought to safety and no casualties have been reported.
According to the statement released by the force on Twitter that, “The fire inside the mall has been brought under control and no shop was damaged.”
The region has now been sealed off pending a probe into the cause of the fire.
The four-storey shopping mall has more than 250 stores and welcomes around 11 million visitors every year.
The Centaurus building, designed by British architectural firm, WS Atkins, also houses a 36-floor hotel and three 23-floor residential and office towers, together with a cash and carry on the ground floor and food courts on the top.
