Sharjah: Aid workers sprang into action yesterday to help clothe, feed and house 125 families left homeless after a spectacular wall of flames ravaged a 25-storey residential high-rise on Wednesday.
Civil Defence teams from Sharjah, Dubai, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain responded to a 2.15 am distress call at Al Baker Tower 4 where huge flames painted the night sky over Al Taawun area until around 5.15am. At the scene, Saleh Al Shuwaihi, manager of emergency aid for Sharjah Charity, told Gulf News yesterday more than two dozen volunteers assisted victims and have logged names to follow up cases. "We're helping them find flats for one or two days and we're giving them financial assistance ranging from Dh1,000 to Dh2,000 depending on the size of the family," he said.
Sharjah Club and UAE Red Crescent were also on site to provide a coordinated response for homeless tenants.
A senior police official said the fire was sparked on the first floor and quickly spread to the upper floors due to the flammable material.
"The weather and wind speed were factors that caused the fire to spread quickly to the other floors in the building, as well as the materials used in the building's exterior that were flammable," said Brigadier General Abdullah Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director General of Civil Defence in Sharjah.
