Dubai fire in residential building kills at least 16, injures 9
- Blaze is believed to have happened in accommodation shared by multiple individuals; illegal partitions are often added, to squeeze more people in
- ‘Preliminary investigations showed that lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements caused the fire’, said the authorities
A fire swept through an apartment building in an older neighbourhood of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, killing at least 16 people and injuring nine, authorities said Sunday.
The blaze on Saturday in the Al Murar area of Dubai’s historic Deira area struck a flat believed to have been shared by multiple individuals, a common practice for labourers who power the economy in this city state known more for its towering skyscrapers. But the tight quarters, often subdivided by makeshift barriers of plywood, plasterboard or shower curtains, can become a major risk in fires.
A statement from Dubai Civil Defence issued by the city state’s Dubai Media Office gave the death toll. Authorities did not answer questions from Associated Press.
On Sunday, marks caused by fire could be seen on the five-storey residential building, home also to a grocery store and other businesses on its ground floor. Yellow police crime scene tape cordoned off the structure, which also still had a heavy police presence.
Massive Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s owned by the long-haul carrier Emirates roared overhead as the neighbourhood sits only 3km (2 miles) from Dubai International Airport along its flight path.
On several neighbouring balconies, a wardrobe’s worth of clothes could be seen hanging, a common practice when cupboards are converted into living space for labourers sharing a flat that was initially designed for a single family.