Villaggio mall reopens 115 days after fire tragedy

The Villaggio mall reopened partly yesterday afternoon after a 115-day closure following the fire accident on May 28 that killed 19 people. The portion of the shopping centre, that housed the Gympanzee Nursery where 13 children, four teachers and two firefighters died of smoke inhalation, remains closed. Cineco Cinemas, Carrefour, Virgin Megastore, the food court, restaurants, Gondolania Theme Park, and a majority of the outlets in Villaggio have reopened. The closed stretch is located between gates 3 and 4 of the Villaggio. If display boards advertising the Gondolania Theme Park blocks access to the area from gate 4, a giant poster of a Venetian Canal prevents access from gate 3. Given that the Venice inspired canal inside the mall has its one end near gate 3, this poster blends in with the surroundings. A gondola, similar to the ones plying in the Villaggio canal, has been kept as a photo prop in front of the poster. Visitors can sit in the gondola and take photos with the poster as the background. Most of the shops in the luxury area of the mall were open. So were a majority of the shops beside the canal with some closed for renovation. Staff could be seen engaged in cleaning activities in several shops. Qataris and expatriates, including families were moving around the mall, with the initial trickle of visitors increasing with each passing minute as more and more people turned up hearing about the reopening of the upmarket Villaggio. The prominent shopping centre’s closure had increased the rush at the other malls over the past four months. Today being a Friday, the Villaggio will be crowded as it always used to be before the closure, though memories of the tragedy will continue to haunt the affected families and Qatar residents for a long time to come.