Not-for-profit organisation taught the women living at Sonapur how to make them and classes were held for an hour on Saturdays
Sixteen people died and nine sustained injuries as a massive fire ripped through the fourth floor of a residential building in Dubai. A Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson said the fire broke out in Al Ras on Saturday afternoon.
The Dubai Civil Defence Operations Room was first notified about the fire at 12.35pm. A team reached the spot within six minutes and began both evacuation and firefighting operations.
Teams from the Port Saeed and Hamriyah fire stations provided backup to the operations. The fire was brought under control at 2.42pm, after which the cooling operations were started.
Expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, the spokesperson said that urgent medical aid was provided to the injured even as firefighters worked to put out the blaze.
Preliminary investigations showed that lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements caused the fire, the spokesperson added. “Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed a report on the causes of the accident.”
Eyewitnesses said they saw flames billowing out of the building. Videos shared on social media show thick black smoke and flames leaping out of an apartment window as multiple fire engines and first responders reach the area in record time.
According to a worker in a shop in the building, they heard "a loud bang".
“We couldn’t figure out what was happening for a few minutes. But then we saw smoke and fire coming out of the window.”
The worker and a few people tried to rush into the building to help people out, but were unable to do anything because of the smoke. “There was smoke everywhere and we could not see anything,” he said. “So we decided to exit the building and wait for the police. Fire engines, firemen and police officers were at the spot within minutes. They brought a crane and started helping people. Their swift action helped save many lives.”
When contacted, social worker Naseer Vadanappilly told Khaleej Times he was at the mortuary. “Some bodies have been identified by relatives,” he said. “At least three people are in the hospital and their condition is stable.”
ALSO READ:
Not-for-profit organisation taught the women living at Sonapur how to make them and classes were held for an hour on Saturdays
The 6.9km stretch that normally takes 4 minutes to cross, is now taking motorists on the route up to 35 minutes
Meet two expats who became like family in UAE households
He recalls how their giraffe used to serve as a local landmark for locals — and why they once had to put down 300 venomous cobras
Experts advise coping strategies like acknowledging emotions, seeking support from family, and finding meaningful ways to help
A top official also called on United Nations experts to review the evidence and examine the damage caused by the attack
This time, registrants will be able to win a chance to bring two guests to Dubai with Emirates flights and hotel accommodation
Updated rules have been issued for these commuters as experts call for safer batteries to avoid the risk of spontaneous combustion on trains