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Don't spread rumours: Officials say after controlling fire in Abu Dhabi building

Up to Dh200,000 fine for spreading rumours and violators could be imprisoned for at least two years

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The Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority put out a fire caused by a gas cylinder explosion in a building on Hamdan Street, state agency Wam reported early Wednesday morning.

Officials said the incident did not result in any casualties.

The Civil Defence operations room received a report about the fire at 12:9am, and its teams rushed to the site.

Firefighters put out the fire, evacuated the building as a precaution, and controlled the situation, a series of tweets added.

The cooling process is underway at the site of the incident, and the damages caused by the fire are limited.

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence urged the public to rely on official sources for details and avoid circulating rumours and incorrect information.

Penalties for spreading false news

According to Article 52 of the law, anyone who uses the internet to publish, circulate or spread false news, rumours or misleading information, contrary to the news published by official sources, could be punished by imprisonment for at least one year and fined Dh100,000.

In case the published false news or rumours agitate public opinion against state authorities or occur during times of pandemic, crises or disasters, the violator could be imprisoned for at least two years and fined Dh200,000.

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The United States Embassy in the UAE also tweeted about the event by stating, "Against the backdrop of recent security incidents, reports of audible and visible explosions in Abu Dhabi early this morning prompted the Embassy to issue a security alert to American citizens and personnel."

The Mission said, "Subsequently, the Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority issued a public notification widely across all media channels confirming that the incident was the result of a gas cylinder explosion."

"The Embassy extends its gratitude to the Abu Dhabi emergency responders who contained the incident quickly and assured the safety of the city's residents," the tweets read.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Emergencies
• Abu Dhabi