Abu Dhabi: Residents at a tower in the capital that was evacuated due to safety concerns last week have safely returned home.
According to the Abu Dhabi Municiaplity, the residential building, Khabirah Tower, in Abu Dhabi’s Khalidiyah area, has also been declared safe and secure. A ground slide had occurred near the building last Tuesday due to deep excavations within the construction site adjacent to it, but there were no injuries or accidents.
“I did not feel any tremors when the accident occurred, but we heard the sirens of emergency officials. We were then asked to leave the building, and we just took a few essential documents with us, including our passports,” a Lebanese teacher who lives in one of the tower’s three-bedroom apartments told Gulf News.
The evacuation of 120 apartments was undertaken as a precautionary measure, and was facilitated by the Civil Defence and personnel from the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority. Shops, restaurants and offices housed in the building were also closed until the site was checked.
Following the directives of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of Emirates Red Crescent, P.E. and her family were offered alternative accommodation, along with 300 other individuals, at six hotels across Abu Dhabi.
The 14-storey tower was then inspected by specialised construction teams from the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, and they confirmed that no damage had been sustained.
“We were provided very comfortable hotel rooms in the meantime, and were able to move back in over the weekend,” said P.E. She has lived in the tower for more than seven years, and added that she had never faced any other safety concerns.
Sirajuddin, a worker at one of the shops on the building’s ground floor, said there was no sense of alarm or panic.
“We heard a loud noise next door, and soon Civil Defence officials asked us to vacate the premises. But everything is back to normal now,” he added.
J. Abraham, a sales assistant at another nearby building, said he had witnessed the evacuation but that residents had not been particularly worried.
“The outlet I work at is also very close to the construction site, but we have never felt that it poses any particular danger to us,” he added.
