Dubai: A Dubai Municipality official has said that preliminary investigations show a building consultant and its contractor are at fault over the death of three workers and serious injury to a fourth when a part of a house under construction collapsed on them.
The municipality yesterday revealed the findings of a preliminary probe by a special team into the Al Mezhar accident.
Marwan Abdullah Mohammad, Head of Engineering Supervision Section of the municipality, said that on receiving a report through the Municipality Call Centre that a brick wall collapsed at a site under construction in Al Mezhar 1, the investigation team from the Buildings Department rushed to the spot and began its work by cordoning of the site and starting its investigation with the contractor and the consultant in charge of the construction work.
He pointed out that the investigations are continuing, but initial indications suggest the incident happened due to some basic mistakes by the contractor and the consultant while executing their job. He alleged that the contractor built a wall in contravention of engineering norms.
"After providing the foundation of the wall, no construction-strengthening points were given and there was also lack of alternative support throughout the length of the collapsed wall. In addition to that no concrete columns were provided on the sides of the wall, which caused the occurrence of collapse," said Mohammad.
"The contractor put sand behind the wall, which resulted in the pressure from that side," he said.
