A deadly fire broke out in a residential building in Dubai on Saturday, claiming the lives of 16 people and injuring nine others, according to local news reports. Among the victims were four Indians, three Pakistanis, and a Nigerian woman, as confirmed by Indian social worker Naseer Vatanappally, who was present at the scene to identify the bodies. Vatanappally stated that he was coordinating with Dubai Police, the Indian Consulate in Dubai, other diplomatic missions, and friends and relatives of the deceased.
The fire erupted at 12:35 pm on Saturday in an apartment on the fourth floor of the building in the Al-Ras neighbourhood, a historic part of Dubai that is home to many migrant workers and traders. The Dubai Civil Defence teams arrived at the site of the incident within six minutes after being alerted about the fire and worked to put it out while providing urgent medical aid to the injured. The spokesperson expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
Eyewitnesses and social workers reported that two Indian workers in the building, a carpenter named Saliyakoondu Gudu and a painter named Imam Kasim, died while trying to save others. Both men were on the ground floor when the fire broke out, but after learning about the incident, they rushed to save occupants, according to Khaleej Times.
Vatanappally also confirmed that the bodies of the two workers from Tamil Nadu had been identified by their colleagues and that they were awaiting documentation from the Indian consulate to repatriate their bodies back to India.
Although the cause of the fire is still being investigated, preliminary reports have revealed a lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements. The building has been the site of previous safety violations and had received warnings from authorities in the past.
The victims’ nationalities, other than those mentioned above, have not been disclosed. This incident highlights the need for stricter safety regulations and better compliance enforcement in residential buildings in Dubai to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
