Tecom fire victims pick up the pieces

Dubai Residents of the Saif Belhasa building in Tecom are picking up the pieces after a devastating blaze ripped through their apartments, destroying everything in its wake last week.

“I have fond sentiments attached to this house,” said Indian expat Mohammad Ameen Khan, 32, one of the tenants who just can’t stop himself from returning to his charred one bedroom flat every few days. 

On Wednesday morning, Khan was back in the mangled ruins of apartment No 807.

As he inspected the damage he was overcome with  emotion.

“This is where my mother used to spread her prayer mat when she would visit me. It was her favourite spot. We used to have our morning coffee here,” Khan said, pointing at a balcony covered in black soot. 

On the fateful Saturday morning of October 6, Khan was asleep when the fire broke out. “I woke up and saw thick smoke engulfing my apartment. Seconds later I heard the fire alarm. I grabbed my passport and laptop and rushed  out. When I went down, I saw the building staff running  around trying to help residents. Outside, sparks were falling on cars. I somehow managed to move my car to a safe place.”

Khan lost around Dh40,000 worth of goods. Among them was a 40-inch Sony Bravia television and a Blu-ray DVD player integrated with his home theatre.

“I have learnt my lesson and will not take life for granted. When my flat is redone and I buy new furniture, I will insure my house and my belongings.”  Luckily, his educational certificates which he forgot to carry along  in his haste were intact. “I had placed them in a black bag in a cupboard. Somehow they survived the fire.”

A heavily pregnant Egyptian woman said the fire has scarred her psyche. “My husband and I bought a cot and clothes for our baby. It’s burnt to ashes now,” said  the woman, who has been temporarily accommodated at the Ibis Hotel.

Another tenant, New Zealander Raeef Obaid, 37, said he will not blame anyone for the fire. “Luckily we [me, my wife and our two-year old child] were in Yemen when the incident happened. I had to cut short my leave and return. There are sentimental values attached to the house. It’s not a pleasant situation, but I want to renovate it fast so that I can start living there again. It’s a well-managed building and the staff are very helpful.”

Farhan Farooqui, Facilities Manager of Saif Belhasa, said: “We have put nine families in Ibis Hotel. We are waiting for the report from Civil Defence officials to see what should be our next step."

Residents reckon the aluminium cladding on the outer structure  of the building caused the fire to spread more rapidly and have raised their concerns with building management.