Tenants try to escape from a smoke-filled apartment on Electra Street by climbing to an adjoining flat from outside the building.
Tenants try to escape from a smoke-filled apartment on Electra Street by climbing to an adjoining flat from outside the building.

UAE

Residents flee building blaze as rooms turn to 'charcoal'

Apartment in capital gutted, while 26 escape fire in Umm Al Quwain.

Ola Salem

April 26, 2012

ABU DHABI // Fire gutted part of a second-floor flat on Electra Street yesterday, sending residents fleeing into the street for safety.

The fire started before noon, spreading quickly and turning two rooms to "charcoal", police said. The rooms were occupied by bachelors, some of whom escaped by ladder on to fire engines.

Civil defence said all occupants of the building got out safely. Evacuated residents waited for several hours before being let back in.

Officials have yet to determine the cause of the blaze, but said the apartment was filled with flammable objects, so it quickly spread.

Residents suggested either an oven or a cigarette may have been the cause.

Meanwhile, 26 workers were rescued from a fire at their accommodation in an Umm Al Quwain's old industrial area yesterday.

The fire started at about 1pm and gutted four rooms, said Lt Col Hassan Ali bin Sullam, the director general of UAQ civil defence.

Firefighters took about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Police were investigating the cause.

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