Shoppers at North City Mall in Porirua were evacuated Thursday afternoon after a fire alarm was accidentally activated during maintenance work.
The incident occurred as technicians were servicing the alarm system, causing it to go off and prompting the immediate evacuation of the mall. A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) confirmed the alarm was set off unintentionally and that there was no actual fire.
Emergency services arrived on scene to ensure the premises were safe. Once the all-clear was given, the alarm was turned off and people were allowed to return to the mall.
No injuries were reported and business resumed shortly after the disruption.