The latest fire incident at the Villagio Shopping Mall in Qatar that has claimed 19 lives, including 13 children, exposes one of the biggest dangers in the region’s public buildings — fire safety.
This is the third major incident within the span of a few months after a tower in Sharjah caught fire, forcing residents to take refuge in public parks.
As buildings get bigger, safety provisions should also cover all aspects of incidents, especially in crowded public places such as shopping malls, cinema complexes and other public places. There should be adequate provisions for exits and emergency evacuation. Safety is something we take for granted in this part of the world. It seems — no more. Safety is being compromised for commercial reasons — a trend that needs to end right now!
These incidents force the residents to think about the safety of the buildings that they live in year after year without a proper safety check, drill or safety audit. There is a clear lack of awareness on fire safety.
However, in view of these incidents, governments and authorities should issue stricter guidelines on periodic safety checks, drills and creating public awareness. For one, every shopping mall and public places should display the emergency exists and evacuation outlets for people to be aware.
