Dubai: A grey haze filled the Dubai Mall’s upper southwestern reaches at midday on Tuesday after smoke is believed to have billowed out of an exhaust fan.
Dubai Civil Defence cordoned off the first and second floors of the section of the mall closest to the outdoor lake at the foot of Burj Khalifa to ensure public safety until the incident was fully contained.
By 12:20pm four large fire trucks, first-responders as well as ambulance officials had arrived at the fountain area.
Authorities couldn’t be reached for comment at press time to confirm whether a fire had broken out or if the smoke was caused by a different source. It’s not known whether there were any injuries.
Gulf News was on the scene where it appeared that the smoke emanated from the second floor near the The Waterfall and The Fountain.
Water was dripping from the ceiling of the basement entrance onto the outdoor sidewalks close to the cinema entrance of the mall nearest The Address hotel in the Old Downtown.
An Emaar spokesperson told Gulf News in a statement that the situation was under control. “An incident was reported in a restaurant at The Dubai Mall which emitted smoke, activating the alarm system.”
Employees of retail stores looked on from their workplaces as security personnel and staff shut down escalators leading to higher floors.
Escalators were taped off to prevent anyone from entering.
One bystander said the “smoke was very thick and it happened very quickly”.
