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Sleeping worker dies in Ajman fire

AJMAN — A lubricant factory was gutted yesterday when a fire broke out at 11am due to a short circuit in the old industrial area in Ajman.

A worker who was sleeping on the premises was burnt to death, according civil defence officials.

The Solar Lubricants, one of the largest oil lubricant companies in Ajman, was destroyed completely causing an estimated loss of Dh20 million, sources said. The flames also reached the premises of Puss Engineering, a company offering maintenance and repair service for heavy equipment and vehicles located in the neighbourhood.

Four vehicles of the employees of Solar Lubricants parked outside the factory premises were also gutted.

“All the company’s documents and files as well as a number of mobile phones of employees have been completely gutted, but the fire fighters managed to salvage the refinery section of the company,” said Colonel Saleh Al Matroushi, Director of the Ajman Civil Defence.

He said the body of the worker killed in the fire had been recovered from the debris.

A number of Ajman fire fighters sustained injuries in the rescue operation and were rushed to the hospital. Al Matroushi added later that the fire-fighters were treated and discharged by late evening.

The entire operation lasted for over several hours and the fire was brought under control by 4pm. The Ajman Civil Defence had to call civil defence and police squads from neighbouring emirates to help prevent the fire from spreading.

High flames

Al Matroushi said, “Four minutes after the call was received at the operations room in the civil defence, the fire engines arrived at the scene. But, when the office realised that the flames were very difficult to control, we called for support and help from Umm Al Quwain, Sharjah and Dubai civil defence and armed forces.”

He said that a large quantity of goods at the entrance of the factory created difficulty for the fire-fighters to carry out their job.

Brigadier Ali Alwan, Deputy Director of Ajman Police, told Khaleej Times that as soon as the police received information at 11am about the fire the civil defence squad was dispatched immediately.

The team of the police patrols and civil defence immediately evacuated the building and put out the fire successfully. The police had to block all the streets and entrances leading to the factory to help the civil defence officers do their job easily.

Saif Al Shamsi, Deputy Director of Ajman Municipality, said that the municipality will soon form a committee which will include officers from civil defence and municipality to intensify the inspection in the industrial areas and to force the factories to implement the fire protection regulations effectively in order to curb fire accidents in the emirate.

George Cyril D’sa, the owner of the company, told Khaleej Times that the fire had started in the morning hours at around 9am and around 34 employees who were inside the oil depot were evacuated.

“I am very grateful to the Ajman Civil Defence for their great work to save the refinery. If their was any delay in containing the fire, the refinery would also be gutted and that would have resulted both in human and huge property loss,” said George.

He said that the company would suffer an estimated loss of over Dh20 million due to the fire.

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