Helicopters, cranes used to rescue trapped in fire-hit Abu Dhabi building

Abu Dhabi: A massive fire broke out in a building in the Khalidiya area in Abu Dhabi on Saturday afternoon, civil defence officials told Gulf News.

The fire erupted in the eighth floor of a nine-storey building and quickly spread to the other floors and a nearby building. Civil defence and rescue officials rushed to the site, trying to douse the fire.

Two floors of the building were already gutted while rescue teams were trying to save trapped people, when going to press.

At least six people were saved from the balcony of an apartment on the eighth floor. Some five people were airlifted by the police and more are still trapped in the building.

Technical glitch

According to an eye witness, Mousa Alavi, who resides in a nearby building, the fire started at around 4.15 pm.

"I saw smoke rising from the building and then heard police sirens and a helicopter," said Alavi. "It is then I realised that the building was on fire."

Although the civil defence personnel arrived within few minutes, a technical glitch was preventing them from putting out the fire, Alavi said.

"After about one hour the fire spread to the ninth and the fifth floor of the building and after sometime it spread to a nearby building", he added.

Hundreds of onlookers had by then gathered around the building to witness the rescue operations.

"Around six people, all Filipinos, were gathered on the balcony of the 8th floor and were shouting for help," said Sudheer Mohanan, a resident in the area, who witnessed the drama unfold.

"Civil defence teams used a crane to reach the balcony and rescue them. No sooner had the men descended from the crane, when the balcony went up in flames."

When contacted by Gulf News, one hour after the fire, a senior rescue official said the police alerted all security personnel that the fire is much bigger what was initially believed.

Airlifted to safety

At least two helicopters were used to rescue trapped people while dozens of fire fighters continued to fight fire for hours. One of the helicopters airlifted three people while the second rescued two people who have been taken to the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City for treatment.