Al Ain: Police have begun investigation into what caused the fire at a private school in Al Ain.
Students at an Al Ain private school were safely evacuated after an intense fire broke out in its canteen that later engulfed and damaged nearby structures on Monday.
Fire crews rushed to the scene and controlled the fire which resulted in no injuries after the blaze, which broke out while the school was closed.
“We had a very unfortunate incident at Al Ain Junior (school)” said a spokesperson for the school, adding that the fire took place in an external block of the school that was housing a multipurpose hall, canteen, and computer laboratory. The areas suffered significant damage.
The official said the incident happened after school hours when most of the children had already left.
“No one was hurt and a quick assessment was done to check for any missing students, those still at school waiting for their private transport home, all students were accounted for and are safe,” the school announced.
The damaged parts of the school have been cordoned off and guards are on watch to keep students away. The school continued its normal operations on Monday.
Witnesses said the fire broke out in the canteen and quickly spread out to the adjacent facilities.
They suspect an electrical spark in the canteen’s air conditioning as the cause.
Some parents have raised concerns over the school’s internal fire safety mechanisms saying that they should be enhanced for an even quicker response in case of any future incidents.
