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When smoke filled our building

Sharjah - The condition is even more terrible for the watchmen and support staff who do not have the option to go anywhere but work endlessly

I would like to throw light on my experience on the fire that broke out in Ittihad Tower, Sharjah, and damaged the transformer. Imagine this. Your day starts normally; you wake up, get dressed and get ready for the school. Suddenly, the fire alarm goes off and you shrug it off thinking it is a false alarm and get into the lift.
However, as you get to the ground floor, all you see is dark smoke and you feel asphyxiated. Then you see smoke coming out of the building's entrance. This gives you the chills not because of the concern for yourself but thinking of your family sleeping comfortably inside.
The lift stops working and people have to come down the stairs from as high as the 24th floor. This was the situation for almost all school-going kids, including me, in our building, Al Ittihad Tower, on June 15, 6.30am. Subsequently, the electricity of the whole building goes off and after the battle of fire fighters, the gas supply was also disconnected for precautionary measures.
About 240 families from different nationalities were affected. Majority of them left the building to stay with friends and relatives and the rest have rented rooms in hotels.
The condition is even more terrible for the watchmen and support staff who do not have the option to go anywhere but work endlessly during the scorching days and humid nights.
While residents are disturbed by the lack of response from the landlord, the tireless efforts of working staff of the building during the holy month of Ramadan must be appreciated. We have to give them extra credit for the smile plastered on their faces despite the hardships and continuous queries/complaints from residents.

Jhanvi Shah, Sharjah