Siren sends mall shoppers scrambling
It was suggested that the traffic department would have to intervene to bring order
SOON after the fire sirens started sounding at ear-piercing levels, shoppers in the Mtubatuba Mall ran in all directions fearing for their lives last week.
Fortunately for the clients there was no danger.
The uMkhanyakude Disaster Management team, in conjunction with the mall management, were simply conducting a routine emergency drill.
‘The drill is conducted twice a year to test the state of readiness of the mall to deal with emergencies,’ said uMkhanyakude Disaster Management officer Busani Ndlovu.
The false alarm took many customers by surprise, since for most it was the first time they encountered something like this.
The drill was a success as the busy mall was evacuated within 23 minutes.
It took the fire truck only three minutes to arrive.
Loopholes detected
Some of the challenges identified during the drill were traffic congestion which occurred as motorists tried to leave the area.
It was suggested that the traffic department would have to intervene to bring order.
The emergency exits in some shops were found locked, which might endanger the lives of customers in a disaster situation.
The siren system was also not audible enough in some areas of the mall.
Mall Manager Maria Rankin said overall she was happy that the safety of the shoppers could be guaranteed in case of a crisis.
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