Following today’s explosion close to Westquay Shopping Centre in Southampton, the Mirror looks at other incidences where shopping centres have become the scenes of horror and destruction
Those in Southampton have been left in shock today, after a massive fireball erupted close to a popular shopping centre.
The fierce blaze, believed to have been caused by an exploding van, near Westquay Shopping Centre in Southampton, where it’s understood several people were evacuated from the food hall for their own safety.
It’s currently unknown what exactly caused the vehicle to suddenly catch alight and explode, with those at the scene reporting hearing a loud bang.
This is, of course, far from the only time that frightening incidents have unfolded at ordinary shopping centres, resulting in destruction, injury, and even death.
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‘Dantesque’ flooding
In late October 2024, widespread floods in Valencia claimed the lives of more than 200 people, with images of a flooded underground shopping centre sparking fears that the death toll would rise.
Firefighters feared they would find a mass grave at the Bonaire Shopping Centre. One of the country’s largest shopping outlets – with the equivalent size of 100 football fields – Bonaire contains 123 stores including Zara and H&M, 34 restaurants, plus a bowling alley and 12-screen cinema.
Harrowing images taken at the time show the once-bustling shopping centre filled with mountains of mud-caked debris and smashed storefronts.
Local reporters described the scene as “Dantesque”, with one publication noting at the time: “The most shocking scene is that of the escalators disappearing and sinking into the muddy pool the Bonaire underground car park has become.
“The brown water is still there. For sure, there are dozens of unusable vehicles floating around. It remains to be seen whether there are also victims who were trapped, because in their attempts to escape many people tried to leave by taking their vehicles.”
Staff remarked there were fewer shoppers than normal there the day of the flooding due to the red weather alert but the number was still in the high hundreds. Taking to social media, one local wrote: “I was lucky enough to be able to get my car out of the underground car park because they told us to evacuate.
“When I drove mine out, there were still people and around 30 cars. It makes me frightened to think what they’ll find when they drain it.” Eduardo Martinez, who worked at clothes store Primark, said he had decided to leave his vehicle in the car park after evacuating and finding himself in waist-high water when he tried to drive home.
Explaining how he’d instead opted to spend the night in one of the top-floor cinemas, he told Spanish news website El Diario: “Everything below ground-floor level is car parking, and a security guard told me that when the water levels began to rise, he warned people to seek safety on the upper levels of the shopping centre and not to go down for their cars but many of them ignored him.
“No one knows for sure how many people there might still be down there. The car park is still flooded, and they haven’t started pumping out the water.”
At the time, widespread disinformation spread about the flooded shopping centre, with some claiming that hundreds of shoppers had died. These reports have since been discredited, and Spanish police and the army, confirmed that no bodies had been found following a search of the car park, as per The Guardian.
‘Catastrophic’ mirror death
On July 27, 2021, tragedy struck at Colchester’s Fenwick store after a five-year-old boy reached out to touch his reflection in a “very large mirror”.
Young Freddie Farrow sustained a traumatic brain injury after the mirror, which was 2.6 metres high (8ft 6in) and weighed between 60kg and 80kg (132lb to 176lb), toppled onto him.
The inquest, which was held last month, heard how the mirror had been “unsecured”, with Freddie appearing to use very little force when he touched his reflection, with the terrible incident captured on CCTV.
Reading a report by his colleague, Detective Inspector Fred Tomkins, Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Michael Pannell told the court how there’d been a metal bracket on the wall as well as a metal bracket on the mirror. The wooden part of the bracket had been in pieces.
According to Mr Tomkins’ report: “It was my view that this part of the bracket between the two metal brackets had effectively come apart, leaving it freestanding and leaning against the wall.”
The five-day inquest concluded that Freddie’s death had been accidental. Addressing the court, the jury forewoman said: “Freddie Farrow was in a department store when a very large mirror toppled over and fell on him, causing unsurvivable brain injuries.
“The mirror had been designed to be attached to a column and stand on the ground. The incident mirror had not been securely installed and was suspended from the ground. Its unsafe state had not been recognised prior to the incident.”
Issuing a statement after the inquest, Freddie’s family said: “Freddie was a much-loved boy who is always in our hearts. The accident was a terrible tragedy, and he can never be replaced.”
In a statement issued by their lawyers, the bereaved family emphasised that their “sincere hope is that this tragedy is never repeated”.
Devastating collapse
In February, three people – including a child – died when the roof of a shopping centre in Peru suddenly collapsed on those below. Dozens more were injured.
Terrifying footage taken at the Real Plaza shopping centre in the north-west city of Trujillo in Peru shows people running for their lives while survivors trapped beneath the debris cried out for help.
One eyewitness reported: “There was a very loud noise and then a cloud of dust where the roof caved in. This is happening now. I’m going to leave the area now because this is serious.”
Peru’s Interior Ministry later released footage showing emergency responders working to free casualties. In the video, a police officer can be overheard calling out: “Daniela, can you hear me?” before adding “Daniela, we’re going to help you, we’re going to get you out of there” after appearing to get a response.
In a statement issued at the time, a Real Plaza spokesperson said: “At Real Plaza, we deeply regret what happened at our shopping centre in Trujillo and express our sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased.
“Likewise, we express our absolute support to all their families and to the injured due to this unfortunate accident. In close coordination with the authorities, we continue to work on rescue efforts and provide all necessary support to those affected and to the investigations that will determine the cause of the accident.
“Additionally, as a sign of mourning and solidarity with the victims, we have decided to keep all our shopping centres closed nationwide today, Saturday, February 22. We are committed to keeping families and the community informed, reaffirming our total willingness to assist those who need help at this difficult time.”
At the time of writing, it is unknown what caused the collapse. An investigation remains ongoing.
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