Abu Dhabi: A 16 year-old Emirati boy, M.M.S., was burnt to death in a Ramadan tent set up in his home in Al Shamkha area in the capital, police reported.
Captain Abdullah Hamad Al Tamimi, head of the customer service and public relations department at the Civil Defence, said that the operations room received a report of the incident in a tent inside the victim’s home prompting teams from the Al Shamkha Civil Defence department to head there.
The entire tent had turned into ashes including its contents which consisted of electronics. Investigations are going on to find out the cause of the accident.
Ramadan tents for the public, which have become a popular feature of the month in the capital, can only be set up following the receipt of a temporary permit from the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.
In 2012, the municipality had announced that the permits could be acquired free of charge if supporting documents were provided. Municipal officials then conduct a field visit to ensure that tents do not damage public property, and are not set up on strategic streets and pavements.
The field visit also ensures that tents on the specified site do not block streets, entry or exit points to buildings, or impact traffic flow and pedestrian access.
“Permits are issued without delay once the documents have been submitted. Because tents that lack specified safety standards can be the site of many serious accidents, the municipality will also inspect these structures once they have been constructed,” Ahmad Fadel Al Mazroui, director of external municipal centres, said at the time.
Most tents set up for Ramadan have to be taken down following the end of the Eid Al Fitr holiday, and fines become applicable if the tents are not removed.
