Fire trucks outside of the Providence Place Mall. (WJAR)
Black Friday shoppers at Providence Place got more than they bargained for when a fire alarm went off at the Rhode Island mall Friday evening.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez told NBC10 Boston affiliate WJAR that a busted water pipe was to blame as more than 100 employees and shoppers had to leave the mall.
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The crowd stood outside in the cold on the Francis Street side for a little more than 30 minutes before they were let back inside, WJAR reports. It wasn't immediately clear whether the entire mall was evacuated or just a specific floor.
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WJAR reports that there were thousands of people who flooded in hoping to take advantage of deals Friday, and some said parking was a nightmare.
“We were in standstill traffic for a very long time," said Julia Beauchamp.
“It was like really crowded and a lot of things were sold out," said shopper Mila Rockedal.
“The food court was very very busy,” said shopper Eleanor McGrane.
“I got my winter coat and my holiday shoes so I’m ready to go,” said Jessica Diaz.
“You’re trying to find materials, you're trying to find suitcases, bags, clothing, shoes whatever, they have a pretty good selection here," said Kaylee Paler.
Outside Providence Place, there was a solidarity march for Palestinian people that made its way over to the mall from Kennedy Plaza. There were a lot of mall security and police officers around to safely monitor the march and Black Friday shopping.
