Dubai: Cinema-goers, visitors evacuated after power failure at mall

A mall in Dubai was affected by a power outage late on Friday, a spokesperson has confirmed. The power outage was reported at Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha after trading hours.

“VOX Cinemas was operational at the time and all guests were evacuated safely,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times. “Those affected were issued with a complimentary ticket to return to VOX Cinemas at their convenience.” Power was promptly restored, the statement added.

A resident posted a video on Instagram, showing cinema patrons being evacuated in an orderly fashion. Another video showed emergency lights flashing inside the cinema hall. Yet another posted on social media that it was the first time she was experiencing something like this in Dubai.

Power outages are extremely rare in Dubai. In April 2017, the Dubai Mall experienced a power failure for nearly two hours. The very next day, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ordered real estate developers and companies to install additional power generators to ensure the seamless uninterrupted supply.

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