Sydney shoppers flee fire at Broadway
Tuesday Feb 12 15:22 AEDT
Sydney's Broadway shopping centre was evacuated after a fire broke out this afternoon.
Fire Brigade Superintendent Craig Brierley said some people had to be rescued from elevators.
"Two elevators were stuck. We freed one lot (of people), we're working on the other one," he said.
Supt Brierley later said the second lift had been cleared and there were no injuries.
Flames and smoke were seen shooting from a low air vent at the centre, said eyewitness Catriona Bonfiglioli.
A fire brigades spokeswoman told AAP, a high-voltage electricity substation in the building had exploded, causing a large fire on the ground floor.
John Lewis, who works in the Bi-Lo supermarket on the first floor, said he had been working in the store's back room when he heard a large bang.
"I heard a big bang and then the lights went out," Mr Lewis said.
"It was like loud fireworks.
"I presumed it was a power surge because it looked like the fire was where the electricity room is.
"The lights kept coming on and off throughout the centre."
Other witnesses said many people in the shopping centre believed it was a fire drill when the building's alarms sounded and had not immediately evacuated the building.
"They were running fire drills all morning, some thought it was a drill," one shop worker said.
A man who had been at the Hoyts entertainment complex in the building said lights had flashed in the middle of a movie.
"There was a recorded voice saying evacuate, evacuate and the Hoyts people got us out quickly.
"We saw a fire engine with its hose split, apparently by a car going over it, and about 20 fire engines who could not get down a street to get down to the fire.
"It was too narrow."
Another witness told AAP: "Everyone just started running outside and you could see the flames.
The fire appeared to have been contained by 2.45pm (AEDT), with no signs of flames or smoke coming from the complex.
Source: AAP
