The Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus reopened Wednesday morning after a water main break forced hundreds of shoppers to evacuate and shut down one of New Jersey’s busiest retail centers.

The mall’s website said it resumed normal business hours at 10 a.m., less than 24 hours after the sudden closure.

Paramus officials said the water main break occurred Tuesday evening , prompting an emergency evacuation as police, firefighters, and emergency services workers ushered shoppers and employees safely out of the building.

Crews from Veolia, the local water company, worked through the night to repair the line, officials said.

Westfield Garden State Plaza, which opened on May 1, 1957, was long considered the state’s premier shopping destination until the American Dream megamall opened

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