FUJAIRAH // Workers in stalls that were destroyed in the Friday Market blaze on Saturday said they had fire extinguishers – but they did not know how to use them.
Staff at the shops on Monday admitted there were extinguishers at hand, in line with safety regulations, when the blaze destroyed dozens of shops.
“I was sitting in front of my stall when suddenly I saw the fire coming towards me,” said Pakistani Azghar Khan, 40, who lost his carpet shop to the blaze.
“The first thought was grabbing the fire extinguisher and start using it but I really didn’t know how, so I grabbed my watch and shoes and ran over to the other side of the street, away from the fire.
“I have been working here since 1992. This place is my life. I owned a small shop next to my brothers and we lost everything. We hope to get some financial support from the government to begin again and reopen.”
Mohammed Saleem, 32, another Pakistani, said there were several fire extinguishers at the carpet shop in which he worked but he was also unsure how to operate them.
“I never dealt with fire in my life and I don’t have the knowledge to control one,” said Mr Saleem, who has worked at the market for five years. “I once saw them using fire extinguishers on TV but I don’t know how to use it in real life.
“It’s better to have some kind of training and guidance. We never know what could happen in the future.”
Extinguishers and alarm systems were the main requirements to obtain a municipality business licence, workers said.
But supermarket manager Ali Akram said more checks by the civic body were needed to ensure staff were trained to use them.
“Civil Defence gives approval to the municipality to provide you with a licence to open a shop,” said Mr Akram, 38.
“They come and check every-thing, like the fire alarm and the electrical wiring. I installed everything they needed to get the licence but I don’t have any idea how to use the fire extinguisher.”
Fujairah Municipality has promised training in firefighting, fire alarm systems and evacuation techniques after 13 carpet and furniture shops and 16 fruit and vegetable outlets were destroyed in the blaze.
The market in Masafi, 35 kilometres from Fujairah city, began in 1990 when a few Emirati farmers set up stalls by the roadside, where they sold their fresh fruits and vegetables, and other products.
It soon become well known around the emirate, with various sellers lining either side of Al Dhaid Road. It now attracts hundreds of tourists and visitors, especially at weekends and in winter.
The traders now face the prospect of rebuilding their livelihoods from scratch.
Some owners whose businesses escaped the blaze have offered to help those affected, but their donations are not enough to replace the millions of dirhams in stock that was lost to the flames.
The situation has been exacerbated because insurers refused to cover the losses.
“We can’t provide insurance to any shop or market without the approval of Civil Defence, and most of the stalls don’t comply with safety rules,” said Jayarajan Kaivattath, deputy general manager of Al Fujairah National Insurance. “Therefore, we can’t enrol them in any insurance plan.”
Mr Kaivattath said that buildings should have a proper firefighting system and wiring in concrete walls to prevent short circuits from starting fires.
rhaza@thenational.ae
