A fire broke out at the imposing Joina City shopping mall last night in central Harare but was immediately extinguished by security guards manning the premises.
According to witnesses and fire brigade officials, the fire broke out from a restaurant but was swiftly put out by security guards before it spread.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.
The incident happened around 7pm, and saw a number of citizens panicking and exaggerating the situation on social media.
Harare’s Fire Brigade responded swiftly and arrived when the fire had already been put off.
However, the fire team kept vigil at the plush high rise building just to ensure that no remnants of the fire could destroy property.
“When the fire was identified, security guards rushed to the restaurant and used fire extinguishers to put it off. We are not certain as to its cause,” said a vendor at the scene.
A fire brigade official at the scene confirmed that the fire had started from the restaurant but was not as big as earlier feared.
The complex houses several top retail shops.
