Cape Town - A tripped fire alarm sparked an evacuation at the Western Cape High Court yesterday morning.
Keerom Street buzzed with confusion shortly after 10am as legal representatives, court staff and the public were asked to immediately evacuate the building.
Outside court, rumours swirled about a possible bomb scare as others questioned whether inmates were still being kept in the holding cells.
Shortly before 11am, firefighters arrived on the scene.
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed they attended the scene and said: “The Fire and Rescue Service received a call just after 10.20am.
“A fire alarm was activated. However, there were no signs of smoke or fire in the building. The Fire and Rescue Service did not record any damages. No injuries were reported.
“It seems to be a faulty activation and the technician had to reset the system.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said there was no bomb scare.
“Cape Town Central police bear no record of a bomb scare at the address cited. However, we can confirm that a fire alarm was activated.
“This necessitated the emergency services to respond to the scene. The required drill was performed and the building was declared safe for the planned operations.”
According to a different source, “The fire alarms in this building are as old as Jan van Riebeeck, you just move and one goes off.”
Cape Argus