SINGAPORE — For almost half an hour yesterday, torrents of water fell three storeys down to the atrium of Jem shopping mall, stunning lunchtime shoppers, damaging goods and forcing some shops to close temporarily.

The incident, which happened around noon, resulted in a clean-up operation lasting about three hours.

In a media statement, mall manager Lend Lease said some sprinklers on the third floor were triggered, “resulting in water ingress at a small section of the mall’s common areas” in the basement, as well as on the first and second levels. However, it did not specify what had caused the sprinklers to go off.

The water was cleared by 4pm, Lend Lease said.

Ms Yeo Meiqi, a salesperson at a Guess store on the second floor, said: “I thought it was raining outside until I turned around and saw the heavy showers. I couldn’t see beyond the ‘waterfall’.”

Other shop assistants said they had heard a loud bang before water came gushing.

When TODAY visited Jem at 3pm, workers were seen mopping up and vacuuming the affected area in the atrium on the first floor, which was cordoned off. More than 10 shops — mostly jewellery, optical and skincare stores — were in the area. Most of them were closed and staff were busy cleaning the premises. Lifts and escalators around the area were shut down.

By evening, a majority of the affected shops resumed business.

Jem, which is located next to Jurong East MRT Station, has been plagued by incidents in its first year of operation. In June last year, it had to postpone its opening by four days because it had failed to secure a fire permit in time. In August, a fire broke out at its supermarket and the engine compartment of a car caught fire in the carpark, in separate incidents.

In September, a portion of a ceiling on the first floor collapsed due to a burst water pipe, causing the mall to close for more than two weeks.