Shoppers at Suria KLCC shopping mall erupted into chaos after a fire broke out inside the renowned mall yesterday evening (29th September 2024, Sunday). Hundreds of people had to evacuate the mall after the fire alarm sounded at approximately 8.10pm.
Suria KLCC has issued a statement to explain the situation, which they have since resolved. According to the shopping mall, smoke was present in the back-of-house area of the building, which triggered a fire alarm. The statement explains that the smoke came from a small fire that broke out in a rubbish bin within the stairway. Suria KLCC mentioned that the bin belonged to one of the mall’s tenants but didn’t disclose the exact cause of the fire. Eyewitness accounts indicated that smoke was also present in the motorcycle parking area.
The mall immediately contacted the Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA) and evacuated shoppers and tenants from the building. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control and put it out by 8.45pm the same night. After an inspection, the mall was deemed safe, and all shoppers were allowed to re-enter by around 9.35pm. There were no reports of injuries or casualties, and Suria KLCC has resumed operations as usual.
Videos and images from the incident have since gone viral on social media. However, some witnesses lament that many shoppers didn’t evacuate the premises immediately because there was no clear explanation about what was happening. The incident also brought up the issue of the lack of fire safety training, especially for tenants and security personnel. Coincidentally, the mall had scheduled a fire drill on 1st October 2024 (Tuesday), which could explain why many mistook the fire alarm for a false ring.
This incident marks the second time Suria KLCC suffered a fire this year after a fire broke out at fitness sanctuary Babel in May. We’re glad no one was affected by the fire, but situations like these call for proper fire safety training as one wrong move may cost a person their life.
Watch the video from the incident below:
@myshoppingmall A fire broke out in the kitchen of a restaurant inside Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur’s Twin Towers, at around 8 PM tonight.
♬ original sound – Malaysia Shopping Mall – Malaysia Shopping Mall
Sources: Malay Mail, Facebook, Twitter (1)(2)(3)(4)
