Charred body found in gutted warehouse

A charred unidentified body was found during the cooling operation of the fire that gutted 18 warehouses in Sharjah Industrial Area 13 on Monday night. A firefighter of the Sharjah Civil Defence also received serious burn injuries while battling the blaze to prevent it from spreading.

Residents of nearby buildings watch a huge fire engulfing a cluster of warehouses in Sharjah Industrial Area 13 on Monday night. -KT photos by M. Sajjad

Firefighters from Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai, and Umm Al Quwain worked hard to douse the massive fire that erupted at 9pm. The team managed to control the fire by 12:30am and cooling operations continued for five more hours.

The fire destroyed warehouses of metal and aluminium equipment, furniture, garments and some stores of flammable material like perfume and oils. The strong winds were making it hard for the firefighters to control the blaze from spreading fast.

The police cordoned off the area and closed the road to help the firefighters. Also tenants and workers from nearby buildings and labour accommodations were evacuated to safety as the fire started to spread.

The police have launched intensified investigations to determine the cause of the fire and the body has been sent to the forensic department to identify the body.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com