Dubai: In the aftermath of the fire that ravaged the Address Downtown Hotel on New Year’s eve, leaving one side of its facade charred and mangled, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, visited the scene, on Saturday praised firefighters, police officials, resuce and ambulance team for their efficient work in putting out the fire.
Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, accompanied Shaikh Mohammad during the visit.
Shaikh Mohammad thanked firefighters, rescue and ambulance teams for their speedy response and for handling the incident professionally. Preliminary investigations showed the fire originated on the 20th floor of the 63-storey hotel.
Shaikh Mohammad expressed his confidence in UAE citizens and their ability to handle emergencies and crises. During his visit to the hotel, Shaikh Mohammad also met members of Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police and Dubai Ambulance who participated in managing the crisis and thanked them for their dedication and professionalism.
Though there were no deaths attributed to the fire, police said 15 people were injured from the fire and one man suffered from a heart attack during the evacuation process.
According to official reports on Saturday, the evacuation process took no more than 20 minutes. Cooling procedures, which took place after the fire was extinguished, have been finalised. Hotel guests and residents are now being escorted to their rooms to salvage their belongings.
Earlier, Major-General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, director general of Dubai Civil Defence, said the fire spread to cover around 40 floors. As the hotel’s elevators were not accessible during the fire, firefighters, he said, had to use the stairs to go to the top floors to contain the fire.
Major General Khamis Matter Al Muzeina, Dubai Police Chief, said more information about the cause of the fire will be released to the public as investigations continue.
“We managed to bring everything under control in record time,” he said. “Our priority, above everything else, is to maintain the safety and security of the public.”
Al Muzeina said no casualties resulted from the fire, adding that all injuries were swiftly dealt with at the scene.
“Almost all of those injured in the incident were immediately treated at the scene, except for a pregnant woman and an elderly man who were taken to the hospital for observations. However, they are both fine and this was merely a precautionary measure.”
With inputs from WAM
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