Tenants have spoken of how they held their children close as they ran down stairs to escape a raging fire which swept through their residential building in Al Barsha area of Dubai.
About 150 people fled the 14-storey Saleh Bin Lahej building, near Mall of the Emirates, after the fire broke out at around 2pm on Tuesday.
Tenants said lives were saved as many children, mothers and nannies had just returned home from school and were able to leave their apartments in seconds.
Emergency services arrived at the scene within six minutes after receiving reports of the incident at 2pm, Dubai Media Office reported.
The blaze was brought under control with the help of advanced firefighting drones, and no casualties were reported. The cause of the fire has not been disclosed.
“At the time of the evacuation on Tuesday, approximately 150 residents were inside the building. The fire alarm system functioned properly, and the evacuation was carried out safely,” the Saleh Constructions management team told The National.
“The building accommodates around 170 residents across 83 apartments.”
Tenants given shelter and support
All apartments were leased with no individually owned apartments in the building and tenants have been informed that the remainder of their rent would be returned.
“All affected tenants are being provided with a hotel stay allowance to support their accommodation needs during this period,” the building management company said.
“Since the building is currently uninhabitable, tenants have been given the option to cancel their tenancy contracts. In such cases, the balance rent amount, calculated from the date of the fire incident, will be refunded.”
Frightening scene
“We were very scared, it was very frightening to see the smoke. I just picked up my three-year-old and ran,” said a mother who had brought her children back home from school minutes before she saw black smoke outside the window. “Nothing prepares you for this.”
The Indian national was among dozens of residents who loaded suitcases full of belongings in cars and taxis.
“We have been able to take some clothes but a lot is ruined. We are in a hotel for a few days and our rents will be returned. But it’s a big shock and now we must search for new accommodation,” she said.
Friends, relatives and colleagues parked cars near the building and helped load suitcases, trolleys, plastic and shopping bags.
“Many lives were saved because mums and kids had just come back from school, others were on their way back,” said a working mum who learnt that her home was on fire from a colleague who saw the news on social media.
“We were lucky because my husband and I were at work and my child was at school. It is the worst experience – to lose your home.”
Hunt for new homes
Tenants said the smoke and fire triggered the safety alarms that warned them to leave their apartments.
“It will take many trips to pack whatever we can find that does not smell of smoke,” said an Asian resident who works in the IT sector.
“The building was well maintained, people knew there were rules not to smoke and throw cigarettes from the balcony. There was no kitchen or restaurant below that caused fires in other buildings, but despite this the fire still happened.”
Tuesday’s blaze was the latest in the densely populated Al Barsha neighbourhood over the past year. Emergency services responded in May to a gas leak that caused a fire at a restaurant, also near Mall of the Emirates. An eight-storey building in the area was engulfed in flames in December last year.
Many tenants who had gathered below on Tuesday and watched the fire engulf a section of the building said they planned to move away.
“I was lucky because my apartment was not affected but there are people who have lost everything,” said a tenant from Eastern Europe.
“It’s not just about furniture and clothes, it’s memories. Your life is there in that home and you lose everything. My apartment is OK, but the smell of the fire is everywhere. It’s not a happy place now.
Family rentals
The building housed individual families and did not permit apartments to be shared by multiple tenants.
Authorities have clamped down on illegal sublets and partitioned units across Dubai, warning that unauthorised partitions and makeshift divisions within rooms are potential fire hazards.
In July, a fire in a residential tower in Dubai Marina housing more than 3,800 people drew attention to the fire traps in illegally partitioned homes.
“Ours was a respectable building, there were very strict rules and bachelors sharing apartments was not allowed,” said one resident about Tuesday's blaze.
“We have no option but to move but I hope once the cause is known, it’s clear what can be done to stop all these fires.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 2,410m | Winner: Bin Battuta, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Al Hayette, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m | Winner: Faatinah, Jim Crowley, David Hayes
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m | Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m | Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Another Batt, Connor Beasley, George Scott
The years Ramadan fell in May
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
