The fire, which broke out early this morning, was put out by around 150 full and part time fire fighters, and there were no reports of any injuries. Employees at the shopping centre were quickly evacuated from the building.

Twelve fire crews, including the Ljubljana fire brigade, tackled the blaze.

Both the old and new parts of the building were affected.

Police have warned people to avoid the area and have asked locals to keep their doors and windows closed for the foreseeable future.

The area has been sealed off while an investigation into the cause of the fire is carried out.