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Hundreds of workers lose everything to fire

The blaze completely gutted the 10 caravans used for housing the labourers, all of whom were luckily at work when the fire broke out. However, all the valuables and belongings of over 1,000 workers were destroyed in the fire — the third such incident in recent months in the same labour camp.

“Eight fire brigades from the Al Quoz, Satwa and Karama fire stations rushed to the spot immediately after our officials were alerted of the fire that had erupted at about 11.25am yesterday. Our first priority once we reached the spot was to prevent the fire from spreading to other caravans in the vicinity. It took us a few hours to bring the blaze under control and we are now probing the cause of the fire,” said a DCD official. Johnson, one of the eyewitnesses told Khaleej Times: “Thick black columns of smoke spiralled upwards as the blaze began to spread and leapt suddenly from one caravan to another. It was the scariest sight I have ever seen.”

Meanwhile, an official from the contracting company assured that all the ‘displaced’ workers will be shifted to other labour camps in Sharjah and Dubai. “We will also provide clothes and bedding to all those workers who have lost all their belongings.”

• UAE