No fatalities were reported following a massive fire Saturday at Ciudad del Este Shopping Center, located between La Marina Street and 37th Street in the canton of Curridabat, San José Province.

According to a report from the Fire Department (Cuerpo de Bomberos), the emergency call was received at 9:36 a.m. regarding a fire that had started on the second floor of the shopping center.

The fire reportedly began just minutes before the retail complex was scheduled to open to the public at 10 a.m. At the time, only employees of stores preparing to open and some customers in the gym area were inside the building.

Fifteen fire trucks were dispatched to respond to the emergency, including two aerial ladder units, along with a team of 120 firefighters. Two Red Cross units were also sent to the scene, one basic life support unit and one advanced life support unit,  to assist anyone who was injured.

To ensure public safety, at least 10 traffic units were deployed to close roads and redirect vehicles in the area. In addition, 20 police officers assisted in evacuating people from inside the building.

Firefighters reported that at approximately 1 p.m., after three hours of work, the fire was considered almost completely under control.

Jorge Lizano-Sáenz, a Fire Department captain, said the fire is estimated to have destroyed approximately 29,000 square feet, including the children’s play area and movie theater.

The Red Cross reported that its personnel treated four people who were experiencing respiratory problems. Only one of them was transported to a hospital in San José for treatment in the emergency room.

After the fire was brought under control, the shopping center remained closed to the public to allow firefighters to continue working to ensure that no remaining hot spots or flames posed a danger. Cleaning crews from the place also spent the day clearing away debris.

Grupo Zeta, the company that owns the mall, announced that it would open to the public Sunday in areas that were not affected by the fire. The mall has approximately 30 establishments, including stores, restaurants, banks, movie theaters, a gym and other businesses.

Authorities indicated that the commercial center is equipped with fire-prevention systems, including smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, emergency alarms to alert people in the event of an evacuation, and other safety devices.


The case was referred to the Fire Department's Engineering Department, where experts will conduct an investigation to determine the actual cause of the fire.

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