Dubai: A worker was killed in a fire caused by the improper disposal of a cigarette butt by a colleague, police said.
The victim died from smoke inhalation at a Dubai farm after a blaze in a colleague’s bedroom.
The fire raged for hours before it was discovered, said Colonel Fahd Al Mutawa, Director, General Department of Criminal Evidence and Criminology, Dubai Police. He said the victim was not a smoker.
According to fire expert Majdi Mohammad Kamel Khalifa, the deceased’s co-workers told investigators they had left their accommodation in the morning to work at the farm.
As was routine, the victim returned to the accommodation to prepare breakfast for the workers. He did not notice a fire had broken out in one of the bedrooms, police said.
“The victim died from asphyxiation while he was in the living room,” Khalifa said.
He added that the fire, which started before the workers left, was caused by a cigarette butt in the bedroom.
Colonel Al Mutawa said that fires from “glowing objects” like cigarette butts and charcoal have caused casualties and property damage in major incidents. They rank second only after electrical reasons in causes of fires.
“A total of 85 fire incidents happened last year because of human mistakes,” the colonel said.
He added that fires caused by glowing objects used to typically happen in labour accommodation, but more recently have occurred in residential areas like Jumeirah Lakes Towers
“Fire accidents resulting from ritual worship declined significantly from previous years to only four incidents last year due to increasing the awareness among communities who practise religious rituals involving candles,” he said.
