AMN
In Dubai, sixteen people died and at least nine sustained injuries as a massive fire ripped through the fourth floor of a residential building. A Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson said the fire broke out in Al Ras on Saturday afternoon. Teams from the Port Saeed and Hamriyah fire stations provided backup to the rescue operations. The fire was brought under control at 2.42 pm, after which the cooling operations were started.
So far eight bodies have been identified, which include four Indians, a couple from Kerala and two men from Tamil Nadu who worked at the building. Jeshi Kandamangalath and Rijesh Kalangadan from Malappuram Kerala, and Imam Kasim and Gudu Saliyakoondu from Ramarajapuram Tamil Nadu have been identified so far among the deceased.
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. According to the Civil Defence, preliminary investigations showed that a lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements caused the fire. Relevant authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation to provide a detailed report on the causes of the accident. More details are awaited.