MANGALURU: Fire erupted on the fourth floor of the City Centre mall located in the heart of the city on Thursday noon. The incident occurred at 11:30 AM when the staff members and the customers were ushered down the stairs to the front of the mall. The entire fourth floor was filled with thick black smoke and the fire services from Kadri and Pandeshwar Station reached the location and cleared the emissions in one hours time.

The fire started in the kitchen of one of the 12 food stalls at the food court at the mall. It spread through the exhaust valve and caused smoke in the entire area. All shops of the mall were announced close till 1:30. The food court is said to be closed till evening.

While there were no casualties reported, onlookers said an in-house staff who was cleaning the mall premises on the floor above, choked from the excess fumes and fainted.

Chief Fire Officer Shivashanker said there was no damage to any of the shops but the common exhaust valve which was burned up to two metres. The valve was clogged with oil particles and carbon, which happens after three months of use, he said. Nothing happened because of the fire, but the smoke was dense, and was cleared by opening and breaking windows - he added. As many as 20 personnel from the department were on duty and cleared the smoke with a smoke suction.

Contrary to allegations that the building was built without a No Objection Certificate from the fire department, Shivashanker said, the building received a NOC but was told to apply the recommendations by the department and get clearance certificate post-construction. “But the mall does not have clearance by the fire department yet," he added.