Dubai's Mall of the Emirates is evacuated, amid heavy rain

Evacuation took place after power shortage as heavy rain fell outside

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The Mall of the Emirates was evacuated this afternoon after a power cut  at the Dubai shopping centre.

The power cut occurred as heavy rain fell outside the mall and across the emirate.

One shopper told The National that they were asked to leave by the mall's security team after an alarm went off.

“We were told the power was off at around 2pm but no explanation was given as to what caused it,” she said.

“There was no sense of panic and people were leaving calmly and quickly.

“A lot of people refused to leave though, maybe they thought it was a false alarm.”

The power failure came as Dubai was hit by heavy rainfall and fierce winds on Monday, leading to flooded roads and even the delay of an international cricket match.

A major clean-up operation was launched in Dubai's Discovery Gardens as residents waded through waters flooding roads.

Workers turned out to pump out the waters as the tough weather conditions created disruption for motorists.

Management at Mall of the Emirates said the power outage was caused by a "technical issue".

"Earlier today, Mall of Emirates faced a temporary power outage due to a technical issue," said a spokesman.

"Standard procedures were followed to ensure the safety of visitors and tenants.

"The matter was resolved immediately and business is as usual at the mall."

The spokesman also apologised for any inconvenience caused to "both our tenants and visitors".