UAE | General
Clearance awaited to cremate victims of Sharjah flat blaze
Nepalese Kailash Chhatri, who lost his two-year-old daughter, his mother and brother to a fire accident at his flat, said they will most probably be cremated in Dubai.
- By Sunita Menon and Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporters
- Published: 23:15 November 19, 2008
- Image Credit: Sunita Menon/Gulf News
- The burnt-out shell of the flat is now a breeding ground for insects and flies, neighbours say.
Sharjah: Nepalese Kailash Chhatri, who lost his two-year-old daughter, his mother and brother to a fire accident at his flat, said they will most probably be cremated in Dubai.
His wife is recuperating at the Al Zahra Hospital in Sharjah.
"I have been running around to get the formalities sorted out for the cremation. Despite being a Sharjah visa holder the Dubai Municipality was kind enough to provide me with the permission to conduct the cremation in Dubai. The Nepalese embassy in Abu Dhabi had helped me by addressing a letter to the municipality director general," he said.
Fire broke out in the shared flat where the Chhatri family lived on the Jamal Abdul Nasser Street on October 28 at 8am. Chhatri was not at home when the fire broke out, while his daughter and brother were fast asleep.
His wife jumped out of the window and clung to a tree that stood underneath. His mother was unable to escape and died from acute smoke inhalation, while his daughter and brother were burnt to death.
Recuperating
Chhatri told Gulf News that he is yet to break the news to his wife of the tragedy that struck his family.
"She is recuperating quite well and will go undergo physiotherapy. Her left leg is okay now while her hip which was dislocated has been fixed, the right leg that was fractured is also on the mend. I hope that she will be able to walk in a couple of months," he said.
Chhatri said he dreads the day he will have to reveal the news of the death of three family members to his wife.
"She keeps asking me about their well-being. For now, I told her that I had sent all three of them back home to Nepal," he said.
Little did Chhatri know what fate had in store for his mother and his brother who arrived in the UAE on a visit visa a day before the fire incident.
"My daughter had joined us three months back," he said. Chhatri said that words fail him when asked about his daughter.
Gulf News on Wednesday visited the flat on the third floor of the four-storeyed building and found it abandoned and yet to be cleaned of the charred remains. Insects and flies now occupy the flat much to the nuisance of the neighbours.
The electrical fuse box with all its wires exposed stood in the corridor. The elevator stopped working four months ago. A neighbour said: "We have been asking the maintenance to clean the place up because the flies are spreading, but we were told that they are waiting for police clearance."
Bu Thaina Mahmoud, maintenance manager of the building, said they were waiting for the police report on the cause of fire.
"There are lot of speculation on what caused the fire. Some say that a burning candle caused the fire, while others say it is electrical short circuit."
Latest news
- Sharjah boy tops Indian board's class 12 exams
- Dubai number plates auction raises Dh27m
- Youngsters dance and raise cash for charity
- Dubai departments upgrade services
- Get yourself a free test for diabetes
- Ensuring a safety net for intellectual property
- Reader's issue addressed
- 5,552 illegals held in Dubai this year
- Man cleared because he took drugs in France
- Man charged with trafficking women
- Auditors to probe Mizin graft case
- Breaking down cultural barriers with photographs
- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visits Islamic centre
- Transfusion centre launches new toll free number
- Smart e-Gate system launched
Community Reports
-
Mirror, mirror show me the way
Driver on Salam Street had so many boxes and fruits piled into car, he would not be able to view rear or right side mirrors
-
Parents should be more vigilant
Reader's picture highlights risk of negligence by caretakers
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
