Fire breaks out in Dubai Mall

Shoppers at Dubai Mall were evacuated after a fire broke out in a restaurant at around midday on Tuesday, local press have reported.

Members of Dubai’s emergency services arrived at the scene by about 12.20pm, local paper Gulf News reported on its website, as plumes of smoke reportedly billowed from the scene.

Eye witnesses told newspapers they were choking on the smoke, which was captured by Zaynah Yaqub on the Twitter @zyaqub: http://bit.ly/PaKMkm

Witnesses say they were told to evacuate the mall as plumes of smoke were seen coming from the direction of restaurants close to the mall’s ice rink, Dubai newspaper 7Days reported on its website.

“I thought it was a fire drill, but when I went over to the ice rink area, it was full of white, hazy smoke. Most people ignored it. But I could smell it and I didn't want it to get caught in my throat," Annabel Kantaria, who was at the mall with her seven-year-old daughter, told the paper.

Inevitably this latest incident has led to people drawing comparisons to the massive blaze that ripped through Villaggio mall in Qatar in May, in which 19 people were killed, including several children at a care centre.

An investigation into that incident later revealed that faulty wiring was to blame and five people, including the mall’s owner and members of its management team, were arrested.

Dubai Mall is the country’s biggest and one of the largest shopping centres in the world, with thousands visiting every day.

On Monday, which was the second day of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, the mall was said to be so busy people struggled to move.

Tuesday’s fire was said to have been relatively minor and there have been no reports of any casualties.

The incident was said to be under control within a short time, according to press reports, and shoppers were allowed back in shortly after.

There was no comment from the mall’s owners, Emaar.