On Saturday, a residential building fire in Dubai killed sixteen people, including three Pakistanis.
The five-story building in the Al-Ras neighborhood, one of the oldest parts of Dubai and home to many migrant laborers and merchants, caught fire on Saturday afternoon, according to The National, an Abu Dhabi-based newspaper.
According to local media, the fire was extinguished.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that a failure to comply with building security and safety requirements was the cause of the fire,” the National reported, citing a civil defense statement.
Naseer Vatanappally, an Indian social worker who was at the Dubai Police mortuary on Saturday evening to help identify the victims, told the Khaleej Times that 12 of the 16 victims have been identified, including four Sudanese, three Pakistani cousins, four Indians, and one Cameroonian.
“Relatives, friends, and colleagues of these 12 individuals came throughout the night to identify them,” he was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times.
Adding that it was a “heartbreaking process,” he said, “I went home at 5 a.m. But I had to return because I was the point of contact for everyone who was arriving.”
He told Gulf News that the four Indians were “a couple from Kerala and two workers from Tamil Nadu.”
He coordinated with Dubai Police, the Indian Consulate, other diplomatic offices, and the deceased’s friends and relatives.
The Foreign Office has yet to corroborate the deaths in a statement.
In addition, Gulf News reported that the fire started in an apartment on the fourth floor of the building.
It was reported that teams from the Port Saeed Fire Station and the Hamriyah Fire Station assisted in the firefighting efforts and that the blaze was brought under control at 2:42 p.m., after which chilling operations commenced.
Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) told Gulf News that the victims were receiving rapid medical attention.
In addition, the DCD personnel “began both evacuation and firefighting operations within six minutes of being alerted”
Initial investigations revealed that noncompliance with building security and safety requirements caused the fire, according to the spokesperson.
The Khaleej Times quoted him as saying, “Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed report on the causes of the accident.”
Residents recall the incident as the structure is secured
The Khaleej Times reported in a separate article that tenants were present on the road at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday as they waited to return home while the building was sealed.
It was stated that residents drank tea, conversed with one another, or read the Holy Quran while awaiting apartment-related news.
“Residents of the first, second, and third floors escaped using the stairs or a rope attached to their balcony grills. The smoke-filled corridors prevented residents of the fourth floor from evacuating, a tenant told the Khaleej Times.
The publication also reported that an eyewitness saw flames emanating from the building. A staffer at a store in the building reported hearing a “loud bang” to the news source.
“For a few minutes, we were perplexed as to what was occurring. Then, however, we noticed smoke and fire emanating from the window,” he told the Khaleej Times.
“There was haze everywhere, and we were unable to see. Therefore, we chose to depart the building and await the police.
“Within minutes, fire engines, firefighters, and police officers arrived at the scene. They brought a crane and began assisting individuals. According to the Khaleej Times, he stated that their prompt action helped save numerous lives.
