Sharjah: Tenants of the high-rise tower that was partially burnt on Tuesday were in for a shock as they returned to their homes in Al Nahda Thursday, and discovered that their valuable electronics were stolen.
The electricity connection was partially restored on Wednesday night and by yesterday morning one out of the three elevators in Al Aneeqa Tower was working. Tenants whose apartments were not damaged by the fire were able to return home, while others who did not fare as well continued to stay at hotels.
One tenant, who declined to be named, said the building owner had not offered any compensation yet and was not willing to discuss developments with the insurance company.
"I have no idea if my belongings are insured or what is going to happen to my home now. I already paid for the coming year and nobody is willing to inform me on what is happening," said the tenant, who has been living in a furnished apartment for the past three days.
No financial aid
Tenants whose homes were completely burnt have not received any financial assistance or aid from the building owner.
"My wife and daughter are still crying from the ordeal because they lost their jewellery, their clothes and everything they had. It is a stressful time for all of us."
Despite several repeated attempts, Gulf News was unable to contact the building's owner.
The building continued to emanate a pungent smell of smoke throughout its hallways and tenants ended up waiting for more than three hours for specialised cleaners to arrive and scrub the floors and walls.
Asif Syed, a tenant who lives on the 20th floor, was shocked to learn that while he was away at work somebody had entered his apartment and stolen his laptop.
"The door was broken down by the fire fighters and had kept all my belongings. When I came back from work I could not find my laptop, and heard from my neighbours that others also had their belongings stolen," he claimed..
Syed said he was disappointed with how the building's management was handling the tenants and their needs, and that he was left in the dark as to the building's insurance policy.
"The apartment is dirty with black stains and I do not know whether the cleaning company will clean it, or if I have to do it, because the management has not given us a definite answer," said Hina Tabassum.
"When we asked for compensation, we were told that it was necessary for us to file a police report and that is going to be another long procedure," she added.
