International Shopping Mall Engulfed in Flames in Hefei

On May 8th, around 11:50 AM, several residents of Hefei, Anhui Province, reported a fire at the intersection of Wangjiang West Road and Qianshan Road at the Datang International Shopping Plaza. Upon arrival, reporters from Da Anhui News observed multiple fire trucks parked on the roadside, with firefighters on-site managing the situation.

Police officers were also present. Due to thick smoke billowing inside the mall, many shop owners evacuated and waited at the scene. Some witnesses reported attempting to extinguish the fire upon seeing flames. According to mall management, immediate evacuation measures were implemented, and only one exterior facade and a maternity store sustained damage. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

A cordon was set up around the area where the fire broke out.

At the scene, there was a sudden “bang” sound, and a large piece of glass shattered and fell to the ground.

“A food street was nearby, and smoke kept billowing out,” said Mr. Liu, a resident of Hefei. Several residents reported hearing the alarm of fire trucks near the Huaihua Flower Market on Wangjiang West Road and saw thick smoke rising from a building adjacent to the food street. They could also smell the acrid smoke.

A citizen who ran out of the scene told Da Anhui News reporters that a building adjacent to the Huaihua Flower Market food street was ablaze, with multiple firefighting personnel conducting rescue operations. Water hoses were laid on the ground, and rescuers used water guns to extinguish the fire in the burning area upstairs.

Upon arriving at the scene, Da Anhui News reporters suddenly heard a “bang” sound, and a large piece of glass shattered and fell to the ground. Nearby onlookers fled backward upon witnessing this. Some shop owners started packing up goods and preparing to close their shops. Reporters noticed police officers setting up a cordon and evacuating onlookers. At the entrance to the north side of the food street, security guards were advising people not to enter the area.

Rescue efforts: Several shop owners attempted to extinguish the fire, and multiple fire trucks arrived on the scene.

At 12:10 PM, Da Anhui News reporters saw multiple fire rescue vehicles parked on Wangjiang West Road. The passage from Wangjiang West Road to the Huaihua Flower Market was temporarily closed, with rescue personnel intermittently entering the scene.

“At the time, this place was under renovation, and flames were visible,” said a witness near the building where the fire broke out. According to this witness, many shop owners along the street saw flames and immediately shouted warnings.

Another witness said that some shop owners tried to extinguish the fire with handheld fire extinguishers, but the fire inside the building also ignited, making it impossible for them to extinguish it. Many people then called the emergency hotline.

At the scene, multiple fire trucks and rescuers arrived and continued rescue operations, quickly controlling the situation.

Businesses: Smelling smoke and hearing cries for help, shop owners quickly fled

“After seeing thick smoke in the mall, I ran out. Many shop owners kept running out,” said a merchant standing outside the north gate of Datang International Shopping Plaza on May 8th at 1 PM. Da Anhui News reporters learned that when the fire broke out, many shops in the mall were open for business, but the sudden appearance of thick smoke interrupted normal operations.

A merchant who was doing accounting training on the third floor of the mall said that the incident happened suddenly, and there were no customers in the store at the time. She and other staff first smelled acrid smoke and then heard cries for help, realizing that a fire might have occurred, so they hurriedly ran out.

After the fire broke out for a while, Da Anhui News reporters saw a lot of smoke pouring into the mall, with security guards and firefighters inside the mall. A video inside the mall showed thick smoke permeating the interior.

After the incident, many mall employees urged people not to enter the mall at the entrance, and many shop owners were waiting on the scene, worrying about the impact on their goods. “The main thing is to maintain order. We won’t allow entry temporarily because there is a lot of smoke inside,” said a staff member.

“We mainly sell children’s clothing, and we are worried that the clothes will be affected,” said a shop owner. Several shop owners said on the scene that the fire did not occur inside the mall, and they did not know why the exterior facade caught fire.

Mall management stated that one exterior facade and a maternity store were damaged, and relevant personnel are in a meeting.

At the scene, after the fire was extinguished, a cordon was set up around the area where the fire broke out, and police officers were on-site to inquire about the situation.

In the afternoon of May 8th, reporters found a staff member of Datang International Shopping Plaza at the scene and, after identifying themselves, this staff member introduced some circumstances to the reporters. According to the staff member, a facade of Datang International Shopping Plaza caught fire, and at the time of the incident, workers nearby were renovating the mall. Currently, smoke is being exhausted from the mall, and entry is temporarily prohibited. After the smoke is exhausted, normal order can be restored.

The staff member told Da Anhui News reporters that personnel were evacuated immediately after the fire broke out. In addition to a damaged facade, a maternity store was also damaged. Relevant personnel are currently in a meeting.

At 1:40 PM, Da Anhui News reporters saw many shop owners still waiting at the scene, and then the merchants on the third floor of the mall were allowed to enter. Reporters learned that the fire did not cause casualties, and the relevant situation is still under further investigation and processing.