Christmas shopping in Valletta was briefly disrupted yesterday as smoke and ash filled the air around Merchants Street, when the electric blanket of a resident caught fire at around 11 a.m.

The incident took place in an apartment opposite Palazzo Castellania. The burning blanket and the mattress were quickly taken onto the roof of the flat to be extinguished, causing shoppers to stop for several minutes and gaze in concern at the smoke.

No one was injured and the situation was quickly contained.

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