ABU DHABI // Amid the tragedy of a fire at an illegal residence for workers in Musaffah on Friday morning in which 10 people died and eight were seriously injured, many helped roommates to escape while others braved the leap from a first-floor window to safety.
More than 100 people were sleeping on the first floor of the warehouse when the fire broke out.
Expatriate mechanics, technicians and helpers who work in the industrial area attributed the fire to an electrical short circuit within the building in Musaffah Industrial Area-7.
One worker, Mohammed Daulat from Bangladesh, claimed a water spill in a tyre shop could have started the fire.
“I jumped out of the window and helped other roommates leave, too. This is how I am alive,” Mr Daulat said.
“The heat of burning tyres and thick smoke woke me up..”
It was a tragedy to see two brothers, from Chittagong, perish in the flames, he said. The dead men were found holding hands, Mr Daulat said.
Twelve small rooms were rented to labourers, he said.
“In my room there were six to seven workers sleeping but other rooms had more. There are 12 rooms on the first floor and all used as workers accommodation,” said Mr Daulat, who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 11 years.
According to Bangladesh embassy in Abu Dhabi, three Bangladeshi men are confirmed dead. Other fatalities included three Syrians, two Pakistanis, one Indian and one whose nationality is yet to be ascertained.
The Indian embassy could not confirm any of its nationals had died although three Indians were seriously injured.
Mohammed Arman Ullah Chowdhury, labour counsellor at the Bangladeshi embassy, said: “We are in the process of claiming the bodies of our people, who are from Chittagong, from the police to repatriate them.”
Police said they had arrested the owner of the building.
anwar@thenational.ae
