Skopje, 14 February 2024 (MIA) — Firefighters have contained the fire that broke out at the East Gate Mall's food court Wednesday morning when a ventilation air duct burst into flames. According to reports, no one has been injured.

The fire erupted around 9:30 am, the East Gate Mall said in a press release, adding that they promptly activated the fire alarm and evacuated staff.

"As a result of the timely response of our services," the release says, "there are no injured persons nor is there any significant material damage." 

The fire broke out before the mall opened and there were no mall visitors at the time, the release notes, adding that authorities are currently inspecting the scene.

After the inspection, the mall will be open during its regular business hours.

The fire broke out when a ventilation air duct that extracts the culinary steam on the top floor had caught on fire, Skopje's Fire Department chief Zvonko Tomeski told MIA.

He said 15 firefighters and five fire trucks were battling the blazes. mr/