At least four dead in fire at Peru shopping mall opposite hotel for world leaders attending Apec summit

Sound-proof walls in the mall’s movie theatre appeared to be made of flammable materials that allowed the fire to spread rapidly

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Smokes rises above the seaside Larcomar shopping centre while people struggling to breathe were helped into ambulances. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:32am, 17 Nov 2016Updated: 8:34pm, 17 Nov 2016

At least four people died in a fire in a movie theatre at a popular seaside mall in Lima on Wednesday, authorities said, ahead of a global summit bringing together presidents from the United States, Russia, China and Japan this week.

The government of Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said the fire at the Larcomar shopping centre appears to have been started by a short circuit.

The movie theatre was screening the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for journalists.

The victims appeared to be two men and two women, but the bodies were so charred that it would be hard to determine their sex and identities with certainty, Police General Hugo Begazo said.

Smoke from a fire billows from a shopping mall next to the hotel that will host world leaders at this week’s Asian-Pacific economic summit. Photo: AP

Larcomar's shopping mall, front centre, is located near the Marriott Hotel in Lima, Peru. Photo: AP

The Larcomar shopping mall overlooks the Pacific Ocean. File photo: Reuters

Peruvian rescuers help a victim of the fire at Larcomar mall. Photo: EPA

Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio said that sound-proof walls in the mall’s movie theatre appeared to be made of flammable materials that allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

Witnesses said they had to break down blocked emergency exits to escape.

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