SINGAPORE, Nov 6 — Some 4,000 people were evacuated from the Century Square shopping mall in Tampines after a fire broke out there in late yesterday afternoon.

In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SDCF) said that the fire, which occurred on the third floor of the mall, was linked to a floor-cleaning machine.

An online directory shows that a food court is located on the third floor of the mall.

There were no reported injuries and that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

SCDF said that it had responded to the fire at about 4.15pm, but it was extinguished by the sprinklers before the arrival of its officers.

It added that shoppers and workers in the building were then evacuated as a "precautionary measure”.

Videos circulating on social media showed scores of people taking the escalators and leaving the building as firefighters controlled the situation. The atrium was lightly filled with smoke.

On its Facebook page, Century Square said that a fire had broken out at The Food Market at about 4.10pm.

Tenants of the building were allowed to re-enter the mall from 5.45pm to "start the cleaning up process,” Century Square said in a later update.

However, The Food Market food court will "remain closed until further notice,” the mall said. — TODAY