An IKEA store was evacuated today following an incident at its car park, the Swedish homeware giant said. Hundreds of shoppers were asked to leave after the fire alarms were triggered by a van said to have hit a sprinkler system in the part of the car park under the store.
Staff told shoppers that the van had hit the system, triggering the alarm and flooding part of the car park, a witness told DevonLive. They said over 300 people were evacuated, with some being forced to leave their goods at the checkout tills.
Staff outside were left to block incoming traffic and direct it as hundreds of customers gathered, they added.
Another witness told the outlet that they heard an alarm notifying of a “technical difficulty”.
An IKEA spokesperson said its “standard safety procedures” were followed and the store was evacuated “as a precaution”.
The store reopened within 60 minutes, the spokesperson said as they apologised to customers for any inconvenience caused.
They added: “The safety of our customers and co-workers is always our highest priority. Following an incident in the car park, our standard safety procedures were activated and the store was evacuated as a precaution.
“The evacuation was completed quickly and safely while we assessed the situation. The store reopened within 60 minutes. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank customers for their patience and understanding.”