SINGAPORE - Parkway Parade shopping centre is investigating how fire sprinklers in the mall were activated on Monday (Nov 13) afternoon.

Shoppers were startled when water started gushing from sprinklers at the third floor, drenching some customers and damaging equipment at a roadshow.

One of the ceiling panels at the mall also appeared damaged.

Eyewitness Paul Soh, a 27-year-old warehouse administrator, told The Straits Times that he was at the mall in Marine Parade with his girlfriend around 5pm when he noticed the water.

"We thought it was raining inside actually," he said. "It was coming from three sprinklers above the Giant supermarket on the third floor."

Mr Soh said cleaners arrived about five to 10 minutes later and tried to clean up the mess. The sprinklers were turned off at about 5.15pm, he said.

"The area wasn't cordoned off. It was spraying outwards like a waterfall, all the way from the third floor to the basement," he said. "People were drenched."

Mr Soh said there was a roadshow being held at the third floor and some of the equipment there was damaged, including printers.

Some of the power was also turned off to facilitate cleaning, and some escalators, lights and air-conditioners were turned off, he said.

Several videos on social media show the sprinklers gushing water as fire alarms can be heard in the background.

Parkway Parade has been around for about 30 years, according to its site.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesman for the mall said on Tuesday (Nov 14) that fire sprinklers were activated at around 5pm on Monday, leading to a water discharge in the mall.

"We responded immediately and affected areas have been cordoned off for clean-up works. Parkway Parade remains open for business. Investigations into the activation of the fire sprinklers are underway,” the statement said.