Hundreds of people were evacuated after a major fire broke out at a shopping mall in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
The fire broke out at the Centaurus shopping center, located downtown, on Sunday, creating huge plumes of black smoke rising from the building.
Crowds of panicked shoppers ran down the escalator to escape as panic was shared on social media.
Islamabad police said rescue teams pulled people trapped in the mall through the back entrance before conducting a search operation inside the building.
A helicopter crew was also dispatched to help with rescue efforts and prevent the fire from spreading to other floors of the building.
Everyone inside has now been taken to safety and no casualties have been reported.
Photo: Facebook / Sonia Asfaq
“The fire inside the mall is under control and no stores were damaged,” the force said in a statement posted on Twitter.
The area is currently cordoned off pending an investigation into the cause of the fire.
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The four-story mall has more than 250 stores and welcomes 11 million visitors a year.
The Centaurus building, designed by British architecture firm, WS Atkins, also includes a 36-story hotel and three 23-story residential and office towers, and the same cash and carry-on ground floor and the food court at the top.
