16 people have been killed and 9 injured after a fire broke out in a residential building in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to Arab News, in a statement issued by the media office of the government of Dubai, a spokesperson of the civil defence said that the reason for the fire in the Al-Ras area of Deira was the lack of implementation of the safety measures of the building.
According to the statement, the concerned authorities are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident and will submit a detailed report to ascertain the reasons.
A fire broke out in the apartment on the fourth floor of the building around 12:30 p.m., which was extinguished after about two hours at 3:30 p.m.
Expressing its condolences to Suguran’s family, Dubai Civil Defence has urged “owners and occupants of residential and commercial buildings to follow safety measures and regulations to avoid accidents and save lives.”
Eyewitnesses say they saw flames rising from the building.
According to the Khaleej Times, a shop employee in the building said he heard a “loud explosion”.
“Some people evacuated the tenants from the building, but there was a lot of smoke.”
According to another witness, fire engines, fire tenders, and police officers arrived within minutes. They had brought a crane with them and were helping to evacuate people. Their timely rescue operation saved the lives of many people.
Deira, Dubai, is a densely populated area with markets for gold and spices.
