Manila: A blast threw Sunday mall shoppers in suburban Mandaluyong City in panic Sunday evening with one person hurt in the melee, a report said.
Visitors as the SM Megamall were enjoying their weekend time off around 7.25pm when an explosion took place at the food court of the establishment.
The blast, followed by a staccato sound similar to gunshots, caused people to scurry away from the direction of the noise.
In the end, the management of the mall, SM Supermalls, said that the gunfire-like sound was caused by a dumpling (siomai) steamer that short circuited.
The incident, SM Supermalls said in its twitter account, “caused people to file out”.
“All operations are back to normal,” it said.
The incident took place just as the mall was holding its three-day sale that started Friday.
The commotion also came a few months after a heist was pulled off by a group of robbers at one of the jewellery establishments inside the mall.
Tension gripped the Megamall last January 26 when robbers broke into a jewellery store and stole several valuable items during the day time.
Pursuing private guards of the mall fired shots at the fleeing robbers, causing consternation.
The mall robbery incident caused the Mandaluyong police to tighten security measures.
