Cape Town - Kenilworth Centre in Cape Town was evacuated just after lunchtime on Saturday, allegedly due to a bomb scare. The centre, which is located close to the Kenilworth Racecourse, is one of the busiest shopping malls in the city.
Management at the centre could not be reached for comment, but a number of people posted on social media that the centre's evacuation policy was ineffective and led to chaotic scenes as people poured out the complex.
Chaos as Kenilworth Centre is being evacuated, apparently because of a bomb scare. No co-ordination, no communication. It’s a mess actually! pic.twitter.com/kOQowl6252
— Gasant Abarder 🇿🇦 (@GasantAbarder) July 14, 2018
Chaos as Kenilworth Centre is being evacuated, apparently because of a bomb scare. No co-ordination, no communication. It’s a mess actually! pic.twitter.com/kOQowl6252
— Gasant Abarder 🇿🇦 (@GasantAbarder) July 14, 2018
Worst evacuation policy ever ,people panic more if they don't know why they being pushed in a corner https://t.co/bIk4u3wJG3
— Sylvester van Wyk (@slo357) July 14, 2018
The shops just started closing. One of them eventually told us the centre was being evacuated. An officer outside told me it was a bomb scare.
— Gasant Abarder 🇿🇦 (@GasantAbarder) July 14, 2018
Staff from the dozens of stores in the mall were seen milling around outside the centre, unsure of what to do but unable to leave because their personal belongings were left behind in the haste to evacuate.
Shoppers and workers from #KenilworthCentre stand outside while police search the premises for a possible bomb threat @WeekendArgus pic.twitter.com/7ZB5sXkYsF
— Luke Folb (@lukefolb) July 14, 2018
Cars streamed out of the multilevel parking lot at Kenilworth Centre after the mall was evacuated. Picture: Mustapha Roshan
The City of Cape Town has confirmed that the centre was evacuated due to a bomb threat and that the Bomb Disposal Unit is yet to search the sprawling building. The centre has also been a hotspot for robbers targeting cellphone stores and has been hit at least three times in the last year.
* This is a developing story.