Ammon News - AMMONNEWS –  A ceiling collapsed at City Mall in Amman Friday evening, injuring five people and stirring panic among shoppers.

Five people were slightly wounded, including 3 young men and 2 women, some of whom were hurt in their legs, head, and others suffered from breathing difficulties as a result of crowding of panicking shoppers attempting to leave the mall, Spokesperson of the Public Security Directorate (PSD) Lt. Col. Mohammed Khatib told Ammon News.

Part of the foyer hanging ceiling of the mall collapsed on nearly 200 sq meters area in the middle of the mall, causing a loud noise upon collapsing, prompting a false alarm about an explosion that rattled the mall.

Eye witnesses told Ammon News that the loud noise caused by the collapse along with the sirens stirred panicking shoppers to rush to the lower floors attempting to run out of the mall.

Shops closed their doors amid heavy smoke in the mall's central space, and the Mall management disabled all elevators as a precautionary measure.

The Civil Defense Department Press office issued a statement later on Friday, noting that CDD cadres dealt with the collapse of a 20 x 20 foyer ceiling that left five people slightly wounded and others suffered from shortness of breath.

CDD cadres arrived at the scene shortly after the collapse and provided first aid treatment to the injured before transporting them to Al Hussein Medical Center.

The CDD statement said that the five injured are in stable and good condition.