Hong Kong’s Festival Walk mall was evacuated on Saturday night as water gushed from upper-level sprinklers.

The torrent began just before 8pm and was likely caused by a fault in a technical component, according to an initial investigation. The mishap occurred during a thunderstorm warning as Hong Kong prepared for potential flooding from heavy rains.

Shoppers dispersed beneath their umbrellas as the sprinklers doused a Mini car display on the ground floor, according to reporting in the South China Morning Post, which noted similarities between this incident and one six years earlier when rainwater flooded the Kowloon Tong mall.

“There was minimal damage to the property and the affected parts of the retail mall were back in operation within an hour,” said a spokesman for Singaporean mall owner Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust. “Any inconvenience caused to both tenants and the public is regretted.”

The local fire services department were quick to respond to help resolve the incident.

The mall had previously been closed for two months following a fire lit by protestors who ignited a giant Christmas tree on the premises.