'Rush of people' as robbers hit Blue Route Mall in Cape Town

Blue Route Mall managers confirmed that a robbery took place in one of the stores in the centre on Monday afternoon.

It was not immediately clear which store was robbed, but TimesLIVE was told "everything was under control".

Information from police was not immediately available.

On Monday afternoon police spokesperson Sgt Noloyiso Rwexana said: "We are still gathering information. Our officers are still on the scene."

Nicole Sweet, who was in the centre during the robbery, told TimesLIVE about a dozen gunmen had entered the mall. "We were busy paying at Checkers when a rush of people came running in and said there was a shooting and everyone had to leave," she said.

She said one door of the store was closed and everyone was asked to go the back of the shop while the second door was also closed.

They were only able to leave when the gunmen fled the mall, she said.

Sweet said one of the guns apparently used in the robbery was lying at one of the mall entrances, and the suspected getaway car had crashed close to the Retreat Station.

According to her, the men robbed a jewellery store.