An Emirati man has been hailed a hero after rescuing a woman from a burning home.
Abdullah Al Shaheen, 34, risked his life to lead the woman to safety after a gas leak at the property.
Grabbing a sheet to protect himself from the flames, he ran into the building after hearing her screams.
Moments later he found her wandering aimlessly inside, her clothes burnt and skin exposed to the flames.
"My home is just street away from where the explosion happened," Mr Al Shaheen told The National.
“When I ran outside to see what was happening, everyone from the neighbourhood was there.”
The dramatic rescue happened in the Al Raqab area of Ajman last Friday.
Acting on his training as an Ajman Civil Defence employee, Mr Al Shaheen made his way into the property, part of which had collapsed in the blast.
“I was feeling pretty shaky but I picked up a sheet and went inside,” he said. “I covered the woman with it and took her outside to the ambulance.”
Mr Al Shaheen said he acted partly to teach his sons, Zayed, 7, and Hamdan, 4, to always try to help those in trouble.
“I worked with Dubai Civil Defence for four and a half years before moving to Ajman Civil Defence,” he said.
“The continuous training at both departments has helped me to prepare for emergencies like this.”
Brig Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director of Ajman Civil Defence, said the explosion had been caused by a gas leak. He said a light switch turned on by a housekeeper had ignited the gas.
The injured woman was rushed to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Hospital where she is in a serious condition.
