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Foul play in fire accidents suspected

SHARJAH — Captain Adil Al Mazami, Assistant Forensic Technician of Fire Accidents in Sharjah Police Department has told Khaleej Times that the authorities suspect that most of the fire accidents are deliberately caused by the owners of the establishments.

This, according to him, is with a view to claim the insurance amount, get rid of unsold goods or to destroy evidence of other crimes such as murder or theft. And therefore, several of these accidents are registered as criminal cases. However, he clarified that the recent accidents had occurred for different reasons, such as non-adherence to safety measures or carelessness.

The series of fire accidents in Sharjah is continuing unabated and its magnitude and frequency are putting the Sharjah Civil Defence fire fighters in an unenviable situation. The magnitude of the tragedies far exceeds the capabilities of the fire fighters.

People behind these fires remain unknown and insurance companies are bearing the brunt of it with the claims running into millions. The loss of these fire accidents are estimated to be Dh55 million according to the statistic provided by insurance companies and civil defence.

The increasing number of accidents is becoming a nightmare for traders as well as insurance companies, as large quantities of commercial items stored in warehouses are swallowed up by flames in a matter of moments. The magnitude of the accidents has forced the Sharjah authorities to seek help from Civil Defence Departments in other emirates and army units.

Captain Adil Al Mazami said that the forensic reports of many accidents had proved that all the fires were set by using matches, lighters and cigarette butts , besides electric wires of chemical substances. “However, fire accidents are more dangerous than other accidents or crimes, because they result in massive losses of lives and properties.” he commented.

Ghariab Shabban, Director General Of Sharjah Civil Defence, said: “I don't suspect that the fire accidents are engineered by organized gangs, but by individuals who might be hired to do so or by someone suffering from mental problems.” He urged the public to cooperate by helping the police and civil defence to minimize the increasing number of fire accidents in the emirate.

An officer from Sharjah Operations Room confirmed that the number of fire accidents this year is higher than the previous year. It has become an unprecedented phenomenon. Although the circumstances surrounding these accidents indicate criminal intention, all of these accidents, registered in the police records, are attributed to unknown culprits, he pointed out. He believes most of these fires are created to claim insurance money, though some others are a result of ignorance on the part of workers about safety and protection procedures.

Omar Majzoup, Director, Dubai Company for Islamic Insurances, said that most of the fire accidents might be set up with the bad intention of the business owner to gain the insurance money for his unsold goods. “But according to our investigations, there are several fire accidents that happened accidentally or due to non-implementation of strict safety procedures,” he added.

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