Two killed, 32 injured in blaze that gutted eight storey building

Abu Dhabi: Two people were killed and 32 injured in a fire that ripped through an eight-storey building early yesterday morning. At least 21 others were treated for smoke inhalation.

The building in the Tourist Club Area, behind the Al Salama Hospital, was marked for demolition. However, it was populated with hundreds of low-income "single" men crammed into rooms, which resulted in the fatalities.

"The fire broke out close to 12.25am on the third floor. It then spread rapidly through the pipes to the fifth, seventh and eighth floors, mainly because of the wooden partitions used to separate rooms within apartments", said Colonel Abdullah Hassan Gareeb, head of civil defence.

Each floor had four apartments and each apartment had four bedrooms, with at least six to eight people living in one room, Colonel Gareeb said. Some residents said the figures were even higher.

"One body was found on the seventh floor and another on the eighth floor," Colonel Gareeb added.

Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, personally followed the incident as it unfolded, officials said in a statement.

Both victims were Pakistani nationals. Colonel Gareeb said the fire occurred because the building did not have adequate safety measures. According to witnesses the fire was put out at around 2.30am and civil defence officials continued to work on the building until around 7am. Officials carried about 100 people to safety by ladders and 12 people using air bags.

Civil defence teams, special task forces and the air wing were joined in the operation by other police departments.

"People were sleeping as the fire broke out. Many jumped out of windows to save themselves", a police official said. Investigations are ongoing.

'I jumped off balcony'

"I jumped out of my balcony. I'm still in shock.. I cannot believe I jumped out of the balcony, it was a split-second decision to save my life", Jamal Mohammad, a 26-year-old resident said.

He said he had no time to think if the fall from the second floor would hurt him. "There was absolute chaos. People were all screaming for help and trying desperately to get out. I didn't think twice before jumping."

He said he chose the balcony because he felt it wouldn't be possible for all his roommates to get out through the main door in time. Mohammad works as a cleaner and earns Dh450 per month. "There is no other accommodation I can find with what I earn, that is why we were continuing in the building despite its shortcomings", he said.

"I don't know where I will be living," he added. His friend, who lives nearby in other shared accommodation, has temporarily taken him in.

Huge crowds gathered outside the building as the rescue operation unfolded.

George V.C., manager at the Modern Bakery, said: "We heard screams for help and rushed out. People were struggling to get out of the building in all possible ways. Some jumped from the balconies; some used blankets as ropes to climb down. It was a scary sight."