UAE | Emergencies
Al Aweer fire: Four more victims die in hospital over the weekend
Colonel Saleh Humaid, Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station, said that the case is still under investigation.
- By Siham Al Najami, Staff Reporter
- Published: 22:40 April 17, 2010
- Image Credit: Anjana Sankar/Gulf News
- The gloomy remains of a room in a workers' accommodation complex in Al Aweer that was gutted on Wednesday night.
Dubai: Four more victims succumbed to their injuries in the past two days after sustaining severe burn injuries when an air-conditioner exploded and caught fire in their room in a poorly maintained workers' accommodation in Al Aweer on Wednesday night.
Gulf News had earlier reported on the incident which took place on Wednesday evening where one Pakistani driver was killed on the spot.
Of the eight Pakistani workers that were injured on Wednesday, four succumbed to their injuries during the weekend, a police source told Gulf News.
Colonel Saleh Humaid, Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station, said earlier that the case is still under investigation.
"The workers at the market's accommodation heard a loud explosion coming from one of the rooms that had 10 workers. The workers were having dinner when the explosion happened" he said.
Workers in the H Block where the fire broke out said they heard a blast, prompting them to rush out of the building.
"We did not understand that it was a fire. We ran out in panic and saw smoke billowing out of the room. We could hear them screaming for help but [we] couldn't do anything as they were trapped inside," said Mohammad Muneer, a Bangladeshi worker living in the adjacent room.
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Elias Ahmad, who shared the same room, said he and three others were spared as they went out to have dinner when the mishap happened.
"There were ten of us sharing the room, and we are all cousins hailing from Bahawalnagar in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Six of my brothers were badly injured and it is sad that we have lost Parvez Iqbal," said Ahmad, who works as a driver.
Workers who spoke to Gulf News earlier said the accommodation complex is poorly maintained.
Fifteen to 20 people are crammed into a room meant for eight people.
"It is the third fire incident that has happened in this accommodation in one year. People cook inside their rooms using electric appliances and the sockets are not safe. But there is nobody to ensure our safety," said Abdullah, a worker who lives in the area.
Additional inputs from Anjana Sankar
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